Somerset County students excel
Reading team competes
Abigail Barlow published
Turkeyfoot Valley High School’s Abigail Barlow was published in the Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Sciences (PGSS) Journal.
Barlow was chosen as one of 72 students in Pennsylvania to attend five weeks of classes at Carnegie Mellon. While there she was a part of a computational biology team which wrote a research paper. At the conclusion of the five weeks the team was expected to have created something to present. Together they wrote and published "Who’s That Bacteria?: a Pipeline for Computational Analysis of DNA Fingerprints." The purpose of their research was to make a new method for identifying the bacteria in dairy products. They wanted to create a “cost effective and accessible” way to identify bacteria for anyone who could not access a specialized lab or cover expenses. The team decided to use bacteria from buttermilk and kefir. They extracted DNA from the bacteria and did PCR to “amplify specific sections of the DNA sequence,” and digested the PCR products with enzymes.
Once the size of the chunks of DNA was determined, they gave the data to a computer science team, which put the data into an algorithm to compare the information to what is already known in databases. The result was a bacterial match that included the name of the bacteria they were using.
The biology team also decided to sequence DNA traditionally to make sure the final results were accurate, and they were. The combined efforts resulted in a pipeline that can accurately identify the genus if not the species of lactic acid bacteria using standard molecular biology techniques and basic computer hardware.
After high school, Barlow plans to attend college and then medical school. She hopes to become and emergency room doctor.
North Star November students
North Star High School selected its November students of the month. They are Breanna Nash, Cody Hause, Leni Hintermaier, Gabriel Lisbon, Pierce Richard, Chloe Ryniak, Alauna Berkey and Garrett Mowry.
Breanna Nash is the daughter of Tom and Jen Nash, Jennerstown. She is a senior enrolled in the honors and AP courses at North Star. She is the senior class treasurer, president of the archery club and plays on the volleyball team. Cody Hause is the son of Angie Hause, Boswell. He is a 12th grade honors student who participates in the Pep Club.
Leni Hintermaier is the daughter of Bobbi and Norman Manges, Hooversville. She is an 11th grade honors student who is on the soccer and basketball teams, and quiz team. Gabriel Lisbon is the son of Margaret and Levi Lisbon, Acosta. He is an 11th grade honors/AP student who is in the gifted program.
Pierce Richard is the son of Lucas and Angie Richard, Hooversville. He is a 10th grade honors student who participates in marching, concert and district band. Chloe Ryniak is the daughter of Lisa Ryniak and George Ryniak, Stoystown. She is a 10th grade all honor student who participates in band, marching band, county band, county chorus and the musical.
Alauna Berkey is the daughter of Alischa and Ken Berkey, Kantner. She is a ninth grade honors student. Garrett Mowry is the son of Tiffany Mowry, Boswell. He is a ninth grade honors student who participates in soccer and weight lifting.
This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Somerset County schools students honored
