Cold Spring Harbor Students Honored For Mosquito DNA Sequencing Work

HAUPPAUGE, NY — Four young scientists from the Cold Spring Harbor School District were recognized for their work on mosquito DNA sequencing by Legislator Stephanie Bontempi (R —Huntington) on Tuesday, according to Bontempi's Office.

The DNA information compiled by Sophie Cohen, Veronica Walkin, Jenna Schetty, and Madison Brass is of such high quality, Bontempi said, that it will be published in a database of the National Center for Biotechnology Information, a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

"To say that these young ladies are inspiring is an understatement," Bontempi said. "The fact that such an accomplishment was achieved before even graduating high school is mind-boggling. At this rate, these students are without question on track to even greater contributions to the field of science in the very near future."

Once the collective DNA work is entered into the NIH's database, it will be accessible to other scientists, who can then use it for applications and studies. The work the students have done, as well as the guidance from their teachers, could impact the scientific field, Bontempi said.

"There are a lot of naysayers surrounding the up-and-coming generations," Bontempi said. "All one has to do is look at these individuals and he or she will immediately realize that we will be in good and capable hands in the years to come."

The students received proclamations for their research projects from the Suffolk County Legislature, according to the Cold Spring Harbor School District.