Project:

Who are you? Differentiation of Suffolk Mosquito Samples by DNA Barcoding

Students:

Jessica Barayuga, Christian Finnegan, Corina Flores, Thomas Waller

School:

St. Dominic High School, Nassau

Mentors:

TRACY NELLINS

Abstract:

Mosquito samples obtained from Connetquot State Park, New York, are from species not yet seen on Long Island. These species are believed to be either Aedes atlanticus or Aedes tormentor, both of which are non-native to the area in which they were found, Long Island. Because of this, the two species can pose threats to the Northeastern area of the United States for they can be potential vectors for diseases and can harm the ecosystem. Aedes atlanticus and Aedes tormentor are difficult to distinguish from one another taxonomically, and therefore, cause an issue with Wildlife Biologists as they document species’ locations throughout the country. By using the cytochrome oxidase 1 (CO1) gene region found in the mitochondria of species, as well as other DNA gene regions that are highly conserved throughout a species, our group will be able to differentiate the samples from one another. In order to analyze these samples, we will use a Chelex DNA Isolation protocol, as well as PCR amplificat

Poster:

Team samples: