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Science Rules! (Featuring Jay the Science Dude) - Buckalope Elementary

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DNA. It's what makes you unique. Unless you have an identical twin, your DNA is different from that of every other person in the world. And that's what makes DNA fingerprinting possible. Experts can use DNA fingerprints for everything from determining a biological mother or father to identifying the suspect of a crime. What, then, is a DNA fingerprint and how is it made? Here, you'll find out by solving a mystery-a crime of sorts. First, you'll create a DNA fingerprint (we'll supply the lab and all necessary materials). Then you'll compare this DNA fingerprint to those of all seven suspects to nab the perpetrator. Ready? Let's get to work!

Launch Interactive

Assemble a virtual DNA fingerprint and use it to identify the culprit in a hypothetical crime.

In the last 15 years, DNA has played an increasingly important role in our legal system. Tissue evidence is now routinely collected during criminal investigations in hopes that it will provide genetic clues linking suspected criminals to crimes.

DNA profiles help forensic investigators determine whether two tissue samples -- one from the crime scene and one from a suspect -- came from the same individual. Fortunately, the genetic comparison doesn't require that investigators look at all of the DNA found in the tissue samples. That would take months or even years. Instead, by marking a small number of segments of DNA in one sample and then checking for the presence or absence of those segments in the other sample, investigators can say with some assurance whether the samples are from the same person.

How do they do it? Investigators use chemicals to cut the long strands of DNA into much smaller segments. Each segment has a specific length, but all of them share the same repeating sequence of bases (or nucleotides). The chemicals cut the segments at the beginning and at the end of the repeating string of nucleotides, so one segment might be ATCATCATCATCATC, for example, while another might be ATCATC. (The DNA segments used in forensic investigations are, of course, much longer than this.)

Investigators use a process called gel electrophoresis to separate these repeating segments according to length. Next, they introduce a small set of radioactive "markers" to the sample. These markers are segments of DNA of known length, with bases that complement the code of, and bind to, sample segments of the same length. The sample segment above (ATCATCATCATCATC), for example, would be tagged by a marker with the complementary code TAGTAGTAGTAGTAG.

Markers that do not bind to sample segments are then rinsed away, leaving in place only those markers that bound to complementary sample segments. Photographic film, which darkens when exposed to the radioactive markers, identifies the location of all marked sample segments. This film, then, becomes the DNA "fingerprint" that forensic investigators analyze.

The final step is a relatively simple matter of lining up the sample profiles side by side and comparing them for the presence or absence of segments with particular lengths. The more segments the two samples have in common, the more likely it is that the samples came from the same person.

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DNA. It's what makes you unique. Unless you have an identical twin, your DNA is different from that of every other person in the world. And that's what makes DNA fingerprinting possible. Experts can use DNA fingerprints for everything from determining a biological mother or father to identifying the suspect of a crime.

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ACEMS - ARC Centre of Excellence for Mathematical & Statistical Frontiers

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Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australian Government

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As Australia's national science agency and innovation catalyst, we solve the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology.

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International Coral Reef Initiative | an informal partnership to preserve coral reefs around the world

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an informal partnership to preserve coral reefs around the world

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Catalyst: Can We Save The Reef? - ABC TV Science

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Off Australias northeast coast lies a wonder of the world a living structure so big it can be seen from space more intricate and complex than any city and so diverse it hosts a third of all fish s

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Welcome to the waters of the Great Barrier Reef, where the XL Catlin Seaview Survey started its mission.

Since 2012, the XL Catlin Seaview Survey has created a digital record of over 600,000 stitched images across the reef systems of 26 countries.

These stitched images are then uploaded to the XL Catlin Global Reef Record, where they are made freely available to scientists around the world to monitor changes in the marine environment.

These 'Seaview' 360° images have also opened up the ocean to millions of people.

The Survey visited many marine icons, including the Komodo National Park in Indonesia. The park received UNESCO World Heritage site status in 1991, although its history of protection dates to 1938.

The ocean around the islands is reported to be among the most productive in the world. The upwelling of nutrient-rich water from deeper areas is responsible for the rich marine ecosystem here.

Diving here, you may encounter manta rays. These huge rays, reaching up to 23 feet across, are filter feeders. They use their mouths to strain plankton from the water. Unlike other rays, such as sting rays, mantas are harmless as they do not have stinging barbs on their tail.

In the language of the Mayan people who once inhabited this region, Sian Ka'an means 'Origin of the Sky'. This UNESCO World Heritage Site contains tropical forests, mangroves, and marshes.

On the Yucatan Peninsula's eastern coast, Sian Ka'an is one of Mexico's largest protected area, with 120,000 hectares of marine environment, enclosing part of the Mesoamerican reef, the second largest barrier reef in the world.

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Welcome to the waters of the Great Barrier Reef, where the XL Catlin Seaview Survey started its mission. Since 2012, the XL Catlin Seaview Survey has created a digital record of over 600,000 stitched images across the reef systems of 26 countries.

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Voki | Speaking Characters For Education

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How can we keep plastic out of our Ocean?

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How can we keep plastic out of our Ocean?

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How We Can Keep Plastics Out of Our Ocean | National Geographic

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Kids take action against a  ocean plastic

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Kids take action against a  ocean plastic

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Kids Take Action Against Ocean Plastic | Short Film Showcase

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What really happens to the plastic you throw away?

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What really happens to the plastic you throw away?

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What really happens to the plastic you throw away - Emma Bryce

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Curriculum-linked learning resources for primary and secondary school teachers and students. Videos, games and interactives covering English, maths, history, science and more!

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Updated November 07, 2011 12:05:55

Queensland's iconic Great Barrier Reef could be put at risk if authorities do not rethink plans to allow massive expansion works at ports along the Queensland coast, an expert says.

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority chairman Russell Reichelt has also told ABC TV's Four Corners he warned the Federal Government that huge dredging operations aimed at servicing Queensland's growing coal seam gas industry posed an unacceptable risk to marine life on the reef.

At least six major port developments are either planned or underway up and down the Queensland coast, but Mr Reichelt says officials need to change tack to protect the reef.

"We think that there's far better outcomes for the function of the Barrier Reef ecosystem if major activity is constrained to a few highly managed areas rather than spread every hundred kilometres up the coast," he said.

He raised particular concerns over two planned expansions: one at Port Alma, south of Great Keppel Island, and one in the pristine waters of far north Queensland at Bathurst Bay.

Both plans include the development of coal-loading facilities.

'Extreme concerns'

Mr Reichelt says the authority expressed extreme concerns to the Federal Government about the development of a liquefied natural gas hub and the associated dredging operation at Curtis Island, off Gladstone.

It is the largest dredging operation ever undertaken in the World Heritage area, and part of the spoil will be taken out to sea to a dump site within one kilometre of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

Marine life is already under enormous stress in the area from this year's floods and Cyclone Yasi, which have caused a record number of dugong and turtle strandings as well as significant damage to seagrass beds.

Our concerns filled many pages - and were related to any potential spill over into the marine park of dredging activity, the impact on migratory species, humpback dolphin, indo-pacifics and snubfin dolphins.

Mr Reichelt says he provided written evidence to the government that the scale of dredging associated with the building of four coal seam gas processing plants on Curtis Island would have an unacceptable impact on marine life.

"Our advice was to raise extreme concerns with it," Mr Reichelt said.

"We regarded it as not acceptable in the ... World Heritage property and gave that advice to the department at the time.

"Our concerns filled many pages, and were related to any potential spill over into the marine park of dredging activity, the impact on migratory species, humpback dolphin, indo-pacifics and snubfin dolphins."

In an attempt to allay these concerns, Environment Minister Tony Burke imposed guidelines to ensure water quality and protect marine life.

Mr Reichelt then agreed with the decision to go ahead.

The first stage of the Curtis Island development was given the go-ahead just six weeks after Mr Burke took office last year.

The United Nations World Heritage Committee rebuked the Federal Government for failing to notify it in advance of the approvals for LNG projects inside the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage area.

The failure was a breach of World Heritage guidelines, but Mr Burke says the process followed common practice.

"For decades governments of each side, as a matter of routine, have responded to any enquiries that came internationally but they haven't been providing notification in advance of decisions," he said.

"It's been the way the practice had been within the governments of both sides for many, many years.

"The moment this was raised by the World Heritage Committee, we undertook to change that process and make sure that there'll be a more routine method of notification."

A World Heritage mission will visit Queensland in the coming months, amid concerns the booming LNG industry could threaten the long-term health of the reef.

Dr Fanny Douvere, the World Heritage maritime co-ordinator, says Australia's go-ahead for the Curtis Island development triggered serious concerns at the World Heritage Centre in Paris.

"When we received the environmental impact assessment from the Government of Australia which is also online, it appears to have contradictory statements," she said.

"On the one hand, it states that the facilities and the measures taken for the protection of the environment make it unlikely there will be any significant negative impact on the outstanding universal value of the Great Barrier Reef.

"On the other hand, it also concludes there will be a direct and indirect impact on the coastal and marine habitats and species including seagrass, mangroves, dugongs and turtles."

Irreversible damage?

Gladstone and Curtis Island are microcosms of the resource development boom along Queensland' s coast that are raising concerns about long-term stress on Australia's natural living treasure.

The development of four coal seam gas plants and planned port expansions will create jobs and increase Australia's export earnings - but is it at the cost of irreversible damage to the reef?

In the next 20 years, the Gladstone Ports Corporation has permission to dredge 46 million cubic metres from within the harbour boundaries, which are in the World Heritage area.

The multi-billion-dollar projects that require dredging around Curtis Island will also dramatically increase ship traffic.

Gas companies Santos, Origin Energy and the Gladstone Ports Corporation - which was granted approvals to do the dredging work - have been required to undertake environmental impact studies to gain government approvals, resulting in a significant number of environment conditions.

Water quality has been an ongoing and highly contentious issue.

As of last week, the multi-million dollar dredging project in disease-hit waters near Curtis Island has been stopped while scientists determine if it is impacting the water quality.

A three-week fishing ban was imposed on the Gladstone harbour due to considerable water quality concerns after sick fish with skin lesions and cloudy eyes were found.

The ban was lifted on October 6 following water test results, released by the Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM), that indicated no deterioration in water quality since dredging began.

However, one of Queensland's leading independent water quality experts, Jon Brodie, told Four Corners the report has serious limitations.

"Water quality is a really complex business and there's lots of different contaminants," he said.

"So although you can do some water quality investigations and come up with some crude interpretation, if you've got biological effects still going evidently I'd say the fish tell a truer story than the water quality data does because of the complexity of the water quality data story and interpretation of it is very difficult."

On Friday, DERM released a second report on water quality in Port Curtis; this time, they included the testing that was originally omitted, for heavy metal contamination.

This latest report found levels of aluminium, copper and chromium did in fact exceed the safety guidelines at several sites in the harbour.

But the report found these were not "of significant environmental concern".

Credits

Reporter: Marian Wilkinson

Producers: Clay Hichens and Deborah Masters

Researcher: Anne Worthington

Cameraman: Neale Maude

Sound Recordist: Richard McDermott

Graphics: Lodi Kramer

Editor: Alec Cullen

Assistant Editor: Joshua Rathmell

Supervising Producer: Mark Bannerman

Executive Producer: Sue Spencer

Video Production: Eleanor Bell

Designer: Ben Spraggon

Reporter/Special Presentations Editor: Nikki Tugwell

Topics: great-barrier-reef, oceans-and-reefs, environment, conservation, government-and-politics, federal-government, oil-and-gas, industry, qld, port-curtis-4700, australia, rockhampton-4700

First posted November 07, 2011 11:22:54

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Updated November 07, 2011 12:05:55 Queensland's iconic Great Barrier Reef could be put at risk if authorities do not rethink plans to allow massive expansion works at ports along the Queensland coast, an expert says.

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Shark Week - Kids Activity Center - Powered By Direct Star TV

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The ocean takes over 70% of the surface of our planet. Download our ocean activities for kids and enjoy working on them as a family!

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Learning Science | Scientific Method Song | Lyric Video | Kid's Songs | Jack Hartmann

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