Abstract
…
Milestones
Problem Statement (November 11)-revised
Catie Moynahan
August 30, 2021
Business Innovations
Advancements in biotechnology, specifically GMOs, have allowed a larger variety of foods to be produced at higher rates. This gives consumers a wider range of food choices and allows big agriculture to keep up with human consumption. Everyday people go into the store and buy foods without considering if there are GMOs in the food that they’re buying. Using biotechnology you can test for GMOs in foods and that can help guide people in their purchasing decisions. Biotechnology can help people understand the role GMOs play in food choice and in the foods they have access to. At HPA there is only a limited amount of exposure to hands-on biotechnology experiences and little discussion of the role it plays in food choice. Students need to have more access to biotechnology so they can explore this branch of science and better understand the impact it has in their world from a first hand perspective.
https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/issues/311/ge-foods/ge-food-and-your-health https://www.minipcr.com/wp-content/uploads/miniPCR-GMO-Lab-Students-Guide_v2.1.pdf
Catie Moynahan
August 30, 2021
Business Innovations
Boarders at HPA want to be able to have access to food that they want and know is locally available but that they currently cannot get. Frequently not being able to get food from town often leaves boarders hungry. One result of this is that boarding students often ask day students, teachers, and advisors to bring them food. This situation has worsened due to COVID protocols on campus at HPA since town vans are not happening or happen only in a very limited time frame. Lots of boarders are dissatisfied with the quality, access, and selection of food from the cafeteria as well. Because of this, they don’t like or eat the food, leaving them with low energy and too tired to do work. A solution to this problem would allow boarding students to get local food they want to eat and eat enough food to have higher energy levels more consistently. In addition, a solution would mean that day students aren’t asked to use their own out-of-pocket resources.
Works cited
Brown, Noah. Food for the boarding students-boarding student perspective. 27 Aug. 2021. Interview with Noah Brown (boarding student for 4 years) to gain boarding student perspective on what food is like in the dorms.
Rivera, Ricky. Food for the boarding students-boarding student perspective. 26 Aug. 2021. Interview with Ricky Rivera (previous boarding student for 3 years) to gain boarding student perspective on what food is like in the dorms.
Kiernan, Sarah. Food for the boarding students-boarding student/day student perspective. 29 Aug. 2021. Interview with Sarah Kiernan (boarding student for 2 years and day student for 2 years) to gain boarding student perspective on what food is like in the dorms as well as day student perspective of bringing food for boarders.
Sebastian, Crystal. Food for the boarding students-Teacher/advisor perspective. 30 Aug. 2021. Interview with Crystal Sebastian (Teacher and advisor) to gain teacher and advisor perspective on what using your own resources to get boarding students food is like.
Helmuth, Ruby. Food for the boarding students-Day student perspective. 1 Sept. 2021. Interview with Ruby Helmuth (Day student) to gain day student perspective on what using your own resources to get boarding students food is like.
Pitch (SEPT 28)
Pitch
Formal Proposal
Author name: Catie Moynahan
Proposal submission date: November 30, 2021
Project name: What’s in your food?
Abstract:
People aren’t educated about what is really in their foods. Things like biotech can be used to figure out information about what you are consuming. I plan to use PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and electrophoresis to test for GMOs in common snack foods. This will help educate people about what they are putting into their bodies. I also want to give an opportunity for people who are interested in biotechnology to have a hands-on experience. To do this I am going to hold a class where I teach students how to do PCR and electrophoresis. My project will help educate people about the role of biotech in understanding what is really in our food.
Introduction:
Advancements in biotechnology, specifically GMOs, have allowed a larger variety of foods to be produced at higher rates. This gives consumers a wider range of food choices and allows big agriculture to keep up with human consumption. Every day people go into the store and buy foods without considering if there are GMOs in the food that they’re buying. Using biotechnology you can test for GMOs in foods and that can help guide people in their purchasing decisions. Biotechnology can help people understand the role GMOs play in food choice and in the foods they have access to. At HPA there is only a limited amount of exposure to hands-on biotechnology experiences and little discussion of the role it plays in food choice. Students need to have more access to biotechnology so they can explore this branch of science and better understand the impact it has on their world from a first-hand perspective. My solution to this problem is to use PCR and electrophoresis to test for GMOs in common snack foods. I also want to hold a class to teach interested students how to do PCR and electrophoresis. My product will be a paper educating people on what I find from my experiment as well as the class I will teach. This will educate people about GMOs in their food and give an opportunity to understand biotechnology and its role in understanding what’s in the food you consume.
Research
The things that I have researched are: PCR, electrophoresis and the benefit and disadvantages of GMOs. Here is the link to my research: Research
Next steps for research include:
- Learning how to troubleshoot controls not working properly
- Continue research on GMOs in plants
Implementation
This can be found on my trello board: Trello
Resource Request
To do this project I need lab equipment and certain consumables. Conveniently the science department already has all the lab equipment that I need. I do need to order the consumables. The kit including these consumables cost $75 plus shipping.
Conclusion
This project will educate people on what is in their food, biotechnology and the role of GMOs. I will do this through experiments, a research paper and informational classes that people can come and attend.
Appendix A: Resources
- Dr. J, she helped me order my materials and supervise/ help me preforme the PCR and electrophoresis
- https://www.minipcr.com/product/minipcr-gmo-detection-pcr-lab/ This the procedure for the experiment. It provides me with background information and directions to correctly preform the lab.
- https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/stop-arguing-over-gmo-crops/ This website talks about the benefits and disadvantages of using GMOs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYlT3f-MZ5o This is a video on how to do PCR and what each consumables does.
Demo/Prototype (NOV 23)
Final Product
Showcase (APR 25-29)
Exemplary presentations communicate how you have grown and gained insights into who you are and what you can do. In this phase you will:
- Present your Capstone work
- Share your product
- Engage in reflection through question and answer with an authentic audience
Legacy (APR 29)
Secure the continuum of your capstone product and journey by creating a white paper, Standard Operating Procedure, Training Manual, and/or digital artifact you are allowing rising seniors for decades to carry your capstone product and ideas forward. Here is where you lay the foundation to do so. In this phase you will:
- Create a white paper to document and capture your Capstone journey
- Propose future work
