See our RNA Polymerase II !!!

Read the Journal Sentinel Article "These kids have it down to a science"

S.M.A.R.T. Team Update

Since last fall, the members of St. Dominic School’s bio-molecular modeling team have been working on a very large task: learning the molecular story of RNA Polymerase II, as well as designing a physical model that will be useful in the research and teaching of their mentor scientist, Dr. Vaughn Jackson of the Medical College of Wisconsin. Twenty eighth-graders, under the guidance of science teacher Donna LaFlamme, are participating in the S.M.A.R.T. (Students Modeling A Research Topic) Team program.

Created by the scientists of the Center for BioMolecular Modeling of Milwaukee School of Engineering, the purpose of the program is to give students the opportunity to experience cutting-edge science in a research laboratory.

To begin the process, the St. Dominic team was matched with their scientist mentor at the Mentor Match Night, held at MSOE. In December, the team visited Dr. Jackson’s biochemistry lab, where he presented a mini-seminar explaining the function (making messenger RNA copies of genes) of the enzyme RNA Polymerase II. The students also learned how scientists crystallize proteins so that they can determine the position of all the atoms from x-ray diffraction patterns.  In addition, we are very fortunate to be able to meet Dr. Jianhua Fu one of the authors of the paper we will be studying:

"Structural Basis of Transcription: An RNA Polymerase II Elongation Complex at 3.3 angstroms Resolution", Averell L. Gnatt, Patrick Cramer, Jianhua Fu, David A. Bushnell, Roger D. Kornberg , Science, 2001

Dr. Fu worked with Nobel Prize winner, Roger D. Kornberg, who received the 2006 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the crystallization of RNA Polymerase II and the determination of its structure -research which took decades of work. Interestingly, Dr. Kornberg and our mentor, Dr. Jackson, both worked in the laboratory of Francis Crick. Crick, as you know from class, was one of the scientists who discovered the structure of DNA!

During Saturday workshops conducted by CBM scientists, team members learn about protein chemistry and molecular visualization software, as well as very important oral and written presentation skills. While CBM scientists provide ongoing support and guidance, most of the team’s work is done during after school sessions, led by Ms. LaFlamme, who has been guiding St. Dominic S.M.A.R.T. teams since the program’s beginning, seven years ago.

The students are currently writing an oral presentation explaining RNA Polymerase II, which they will present on March 8 at the Medical College to an audience of other S.M.A.R.T. teams, parents, teacher advisors, and parents. They are also designing a poster explaining RNA Polymerase II and the role of Chain B, which they will use on February 29 in presenting their work to an audience of Medical College scientists and graduate students. The team will participate in another poster session at the Medical College on March 19.

On March 14, the students will travel to Lake Geneva and use their poster and models in explaining their work on RNA Polymerase II to the teachers at the Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers Convention.

St. Dominic School’s team was the first, and remains one of only two middle school S.M.A.R.T. teams participating in this program geared for older students. Through the dedicated efforts of Donna LaFlamme, our students are able to participate in a unique and challenging learning experience.