The Week Junior - Science + Nature
YOUR SPACE
Maria told The Week Junior Science+Nature about her project to map the blueprint of a whipworm.
“I was invited by my biology teacher in Year 10 to be a part of the Institute for Research in Schools’ (IRIS) groundbreaking Genome Decoders project.
Along with students from more than 50 UK schools, I learned to annotate the genome (the complete set of genetic instructions) of the human whipworm, Trichuris trichiura. This worm is a parasite (a living thing that lives in, or on, a host organism; the parasite benefits, the host suffers), which negatively impacts the lives of
Annotating the genome of the human whipworm
Maria Sellers
millions of people worldwide.
It causes malnutrition and problems with the brain.
We’ve helped scientists from the Wellcome Sanger Institute with more than 20,000 annotations. Annotating a genome means finding the locations of genes and determining what those genes do.
I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to take part in this project. To have the opportunity to work alongside scientists towards a treatment for a real-world problem has been amazing. The project has inspired me to learn more about genetics, which will be a big part of my university course and my life after university. Dr Faye Rodgers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute says, “Producing an annotated genome could help reveal a new way to target this neglected tropical parasite, and in the long run potentially reduce the number of children that suffer from it. To be involved in such an important collaborative project is incredibly exciting and shows that everyone can make an impact in science.”
IRIS has lots of science projects in which young researchers can get involved. To find one that could interest you, check out the website at researchinschools.org/projects