Tatiana Mikhailovsky, a science teacher at Eastside High School in Paterson, NJ, came to PHRI last summer as a Teacher Intern in the PHRI Summer Internship Program. "At PHRI, I felt I was part of a world class scientific community, doing important work, said Dr. Mikhailovsky.

The Summer Program is an intensive laboratory experience for minority students who live or attend high school in Newark, nurturing their interest in science through hands-on research. The program concludes with a Symposium, where the Interns present their research to an audience of family members, educators, scientists, local and state dignitaries, and community residents.

Armed with lesson plans she developed at PHRI, Dr. Mikhailovsky brought a touch of the summer back to Eastside High School and introduced the basics of molecular biology to her students. One of the experiments involves extracting DNA from a banana, using dishwashing soap, table salt, rubbing alcohol and other inexpensive supplies. "Yak Saturen, the Director of the Summer Program, worked with me to develop a simple DNA experiment that we could use in my class," Dr. Mikhailovsky explained, "and PHRI lent me an electrophoresis unit and a digital micropipette."

PHRI scientist Dr. Issar Smith, in whose lab Dr. Mikhailovsky worked last summer, visited Eastside High School to observe the experiments and speak with students. Student Jakim Hamilton asked Dr. Smith, "How can we really know what's in this DNA? Can we see it?" Dr. Smith explained that although there are now microscopes powerful enough to magnify DNA so it can be seen, much of the challenge of biology is to design experiments to explain microbial behavior that we cannot see. He left Jakim pondering how to relate his love of computers to his new interest in biology and DNA.

Funding for the 2003 Summer Program was provided by The Prudential Foundation, the MCJ Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health, and the equipment used in Paterson was originally purchased with a grant from the Pfizer Foundation. PHRI is seeking funding to expand the summer program year round and to other locations in addition to Newark.