Waubonsie hosts conference on 'new era' in genetics

There was a time when learning genetics in high school meant drawing a chart like a tic-tac-toe board, scribbling out the father's traits and the mother's traits and trying to predict whether a baby will have blue eyes or brown.

Those Punnett squares sure were riveting.

But their time has come and gone as genetics instruction has advanced far beyond the basics into the newest research and efforts to cure common diseases.

About 400 students from several West suburban high schools recently heard from genetics educator and speaker Sam Rhine, whose message to the crowd at Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora was basically this:

There's some really cool stuff going on in human genetics. And there are plenty of opportunities for today's high school students to be a part of it.

Rhine told students that new research since the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003 is delving into health problems caused by multiple genes and influenced by environmental factors. Disorders such as juvenile and Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, autism, mental illness and asthma all fall into that category, he said.

"They're common, but they're terribly complex and the inheritance is extremely difficult to understand," Rhine said.

Despite the complexity, researchers are making progress, and Rhine said they'll need more help from high schoolers who will go on to study medicine, medical research, genetic counseling, computer science, biotechnology, biostatistics or even scientific education.

Waubonsie genetics and biotechnology teacher Chris Schramm said talks like Rhine's have inspired some students' career choices each of the 15 years the school has hosted a genetics conference.

"It's the 'that is really cool' factor that pops into their heads and then they want to know more," Schramm said.

Waubonsie senior Alexa Kapla of Aurora said she might pursue a master's degree in breeding and genetics after beginning next year to seek a degree in animal science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She said she was interested to learn about advances in genetics and stem cell research that are seeking solutions for diseases such as juvenile-onset diabetes.

"I think it is incredible to see how close we are to curing some common diseases," Kapla said.

As a "curious" kid, Kapla said she's always loved science and used it to find answers to questions about her surroundings.

"I love genetics because it gives us insight to who we are as not only a human, but an individual," Kapla said. "Studying genetics helps us understand why things happen to us, and how we can influence the future of our own health and our family."

Schramm said he works to feed his students' curiosity with updated information about medical advances and practical applications for the genetic principles of his curriculum.

"Our class is very cutting-edge," Schramm said. "I try to stay as close to up-to-date as possible."

While the 160 students taking Schramm's genetics and biotechnology class made up a chunk of the audience, their peers from about a dozen other schools also got to hear about ways they can join what Rhine called the "new era in human genetics."

"It's really exciting that they can hear about these opportunities," said Jacquelyn Kinsella, advanced placement biology teacher at Yorkville High School. "This gives them a thought or spurs them that there are goals to pursue."