Shortly before spring break, Friends Academy 7th graders visited Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories, a school partner, and used their knowledge of genotypes, phenotypes, and genetic engineering to add genes for bioluminescence and antibiotic resistance to single-felled organisms.
![csh3](https://www.friendsacademy.org/hs-fs/hubfs/csh3.jpg?width=3024&height=4032&name=csh3.jpg)
While learning about how bacteria can become antibiotic-resistant, student scientists used micropipettes to introduce new genetic material to cause the bacteria to not only glow but also become resistant to antibiotics.
![csh6](https://www.friendsacademy.org/hs-fs/hubfs/csh6.jpg?width=3024&height=4032&name=csh6.jpg)
Students were able to see that their experiments worked by using a UV light – all Petri dishes were glowing – showing that they had all successfully introduced new genetic material to the bacteria!
![csh1](https://www.friendsacademy.org/hs-fs/hubfs/csh1.jpg?width=3024&height=2669&name=csh1.jpg)
Students discussed some fascinating practical applications of this technique, including, cancer researchers using similar methodologies to coerce cancer cells to glow and make them visible to doctors.