Student participants reflect on their experiences in the 2013-14 Urban Barcode Research Program.

The Urban Barcode Research Program (UBRP) is a science education initiative to engage New York City (NYC) high school students in studying biodiversity using DNA technology. Just as the unique pattern of bars in a product code identifies each item for sale in a store, a DNA sequence barcode uniquely identifies each species of living thing. Scientists worldwide use DNA barcodes to catalog the vanishing diversity of life on our planet. Students participate in UBRP workshops and conduct independent research projects using DNA barcoding with mentorship from scientists. During the 2013–2014 school year 20 student research teams, representing 17 high schools throughout the five boroughs of NYC, developed projects relating to city wildlife, biodiversity, food mislabeling, invasive species, and microbiomes. The UBRP is made possible through funding from The Pinkerton Foundation.

Urban Barcode Research Program Symposium Participant Reflections DNA DNALC CSHL AMNH Pinkerton