Helix
Helix
Malden High School
Malden, MA
Mentors:
Alicia Vaca, Benoit Molinie & Victoria Leong
Broad Technology Space
Helix spent the summer investigating whether something as simple as a strand of rootless hair could become a powerful source of genomic information. Traditional thinking has held that nuclear DNA in the hair shaft is largely destroyed during keratinization, leaving fragments too short for many modern genomic applications. The project challenged that assumption by asking whether the problem might instead be the way DNA has historically been extracted.
Working with Bella in the Broad Technology Space, Helix helped investigate an optimized strategy for recovering genomic DNA from mammalian hair shafts. Hair is particularly attractive as a biological sample because it can often be collected through brushing or natural shedding, avoiding invasive blood or tissue collection.
The project incorporated multiple stages of the genomics workflow, including preparing hair samples under different conditions, microscopy and DAPI staining to visualize nuclei, digestion of the keratin layer, DNA extraction, TapeStation analysis of fragment sizes, and preparation for library construction and sequencing. The students worked with hair from several mammalian species, allowing them to consider how broadly the method might eventually be applied.
Their optimized approach recovered genomic DNA fragments exceeding 60 kilobases, providing promising evidence that substantial nuclear DNA remains within mammalian hair shafts and can be accessed with an improved protocol.
Helix learned how sample preparation, microscopy, DNA extraction, and quality-control measurements each provide a different piece of evidence about whether recovered DNA is suitable for downstream genomics.
Their work contributes to a potentially transformative idea in genomics: turning an easily obtained, non-invasive biological material into a source for high-quality genetic information. Further sequencing will determine the quality and genomic coverage achievable from these samples.
For Helix, the project strengthened an interest that extends beyond the six-week program. They described BSSP as an opportunity that connected them with many people and “cemented my love for biotechnology,” adding that they hope to continue working in genomics in the future.
