Sonoma State Studies Sequencing

Bay Area News Roundup / SFC Chronicle 13feb01

Students conducting DNA research at Sonoma State University may not be cracking the human genetic code, but their efforts could increase understanding of some of the state's endangered species.

Six graduate and four undergraduate students are using technology similar to that which led to yesterday's announcement regarding the mapping of human DNA.

Scientists announced that humans have only about 30,000 genes, far fewer than the previous estimate of 100,000. The research results are being published this week in the journals Nature and Science.

At Sonoma State, the research centers on harbor seals, steelhead, and montane leaf beetles. "They're trying to get the sequence for the whole genome. We're trying to get a portion of it," said Derek Girman, head of the Core DNA Analysis Facility.

That means snipping a potion of a steelhead's fin to compare the genetic differences between fish above and below unpassable barriers. Students are trying to determine if barriers, such as dams, affect the genetic structure of the steelhead.

Another project involves harbor seals.

"Is the genetic structure of seals that haul out of San Francisco Bay different from those on the coast," Girman asks.

Though less dramatic than the human genome project, the SSU research carries implications for conservation and preservation of the state's endangered species. "We're getting direct experience wuth the new technology. We're not mapping, we're doing sequencing," Girman said.