OMS students participate in forensic lab

Oswego Middle School students recently became forensic scientists during a lab using state-of-the-art equipment to determine paternity.

Armed with gel electrophoresis kits provided by Cornell University, seventh and eighth-graders in Catherine Celeste’s classroom participated in the daylong lab. The equipment and procedures involved students transferring tiny amounts of real DNA into tiny wells in gels they made, using micropipettes. The gels were placed in electrophoresis boxes to separate the DNA based on size. and students were able to determine paternity in two cases creating DNA fingerprints.

“This is an incredible opportunity for the students to participate in a real forensic lab,” Celeste said. “It’s an intensive day of learning, but the students are always up to the challenge. It’s so rewarding to see them having fun while learning about complex scientific processes.”