The American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) invites you to participate in the 9th Annual DNA Day Essay Contest! The contest is open to students in grades 9-12. The contest aims to challenge students to examine, question, and reflect on important concepts in genetics. Essays are expected to contain substantive, well-reasoned arguments indicative of a […]

The American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) invites you to participate in the 9th Annual DNA Day Essay Contest! The contest is open to students in grades 9-12.

The contest aims to challenge students to examine, question, and reflect on important concepts in genetics. Essays are expected to contain substantive, well-reasoned arguments indicative of a depth of understanding of the concepts related to the essay question. Essays are read and evaluated by several independent judges through three rounds of scoring.

Prizes-
1st Place Winner: $1,000 + $1,000 genetics materials grant for teacher
2nd Place Winner: $600 + $600 genetics materials grant for teacher
3rd Place Winner: $400 + $400 genetics materials grant for teacher

Honorable Mention: 10 prizes of $100 each.

2014 Question

Complex traits, such as blood pressure, height, cardiovascular disease, or autism, are the combined result of multiple genes and the environment. For ONE complex human trait of your choosing, identify and explain the contributions of at least one genetic factor AND one environmental factor. How does this interplay lead to a phenotype? Keep in mind that the environment may include nutrition, psychological elements, and other non-genetic factors. If the molecular or biological basis of the interaction between the genetic and environmental factors is known, be sure to discuss it. If not, discuss the gaps in our knowledge of how those factors influence your chosen trait.

Essays are due at 5:00 pm EST, March 14, 2014.
Read the Essay Contest Rules – http://goo.gl/Ey1opB