Crime Scenes!!!

Hi! I'm here today to tell you about crime scenes. Early police officers would not worry about preserving evidence, and used their bare hands due to lack of technology. Now at major crimes, it is almost as if the scene was radioactive. Only authorized personnel are permitted after the police tape had been put up, you have to put on special white suits to keep contamination from happening.
 They have many ways to record evidence including:

• photographs
• sketches
• notes
• measurements
• (sometimes) video

Then they collect evidence: 

• fingerprints
• footprints
• weapons
• blood samples
• bodies (if any)

After all this has been collected, the police tape is removed and the press and reporters are free to do their thing. 

Another way to find the suspect is to interview witnesses. Witnesses are people who saw the crime and (may) help find the suspect.

Witnesses may be asked to:

• describe faces while the officer puts together a face from a variety of eyes, hair, mouths, etc.
• tell what they saw happen
• listen to voices to see if they match any voices they (might) have heard
• look at pictures of prime suspects and (possibly) identify real people

Over & Out!
Elise

Tours!!!

Hello!

I went to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center on March 18, 2014.

It was awesome! I got to see statues of proteins and even pieces of native american art that were either on loan or had been donated. I wish I had taken pictures! Below is what I learned!

They count how much DNA is in a micro liter of chemicals and do this to many samples before storing them. How?

1. By putting the chemical on the machine
2. Then putting the chemical with DNA  onto the machine
3. Finally they  record the number of DNA in that sample.

  Also they counted the number of colonies in a group of cells by using a special microscope and counter. They use a tank of nitrogen at  about -400 Fahrenheit to store cells and use incubators at human temperature, (98.4) to grow cells. I learned that there is over 30 labs in 2 buildings out of 5! They use super clean instruments as not to contaminate any samples. I got to look through a florescent microscope that shows damaged cells. I saw cells being repaired. Did you know the research center has won 3 Nobel prizes? The people were very nice by showing me all the different labs and tests they did.

 I learned alot about DNA at this visit and I hope to see it again!

Over and out!

Elise

P.S.- Here's a picture!

A Visit to a Lab!!!!!

Dear Elise,

Are you available on March 17 or March 18th? If so, I can arrange a short tour of a laboratory at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research center in Seattle. Otherwise, I can arrange a tour for you in Pullman in the beginning of April. 

The fish that lives in southern Mexico is very interesting. There are fresh water populations that cannot survive in the toxic hydrogen sulfide springs. However, there are sulfur spring ecotypes that are able to survive in the high levels of hydrogen sulfide. Additionally, there are caves in the region where the fish are also found. Some caves are fresh water and some have hydrogen sulfide. The hydrogen sulfide is naturally occurring due to volcanic activity in the region. 

I teach two classes. They are Genome Biology and Contemporary Genetics. The wet laboratory is the place where the molecular experiments take place. We also have a "dry" laboratory, which is where all of the computation is done. I learned how to write computer programs by taking a programming class in college and then teaching myself the rest from books. It was challenging but a lot of fun.

In Switzerland, I mostly talked to people and presented my work. On the weekend, my colleague took me to the mountains so we could go for a hike and eat cheese fondue in the town of Gruyeres. 

Let me know when you are available for a tour. 

Sincerely, 

Joanna 

The letter you see above is about getting to visit a DNA research center! It is not final yet, but later in March I will get to see a lab in Seattle!!!!!! After the tour I will definitely tell you about it. 

Over & Out!

Elise

DNA!!!!!

Hi!
I'm going to tell you a little bit about DNA. Get ready, cause there's some huge words!
DNA stands for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acids. Did you know that scientists only know about 2% about DNA? The other 98% is still undiscovered. DNA is found in the Nucleus of all living organisms cells. That type of DNA is called nuclear DNA. DNA is also found in  Mitochondria. Can you guess what type of DNA that's   called? If you thought mitochondria DNA you were right!!! I'm telling you this because sometime around St. Patrick's Day I'll be touring a research center that study's DNA. I cannot wait. Afterwards I'll tell you about what I learned.


Over & Out!
Elise


P.S.- I thought you might want to see the different parts of DNA.


P.P.S.- On the right of the diagram is a simple picture of DNA. Bye!