Friday, June 14, 2002

A Web Site Chronicles a Genetics Professor's Hunt for African DNA Samples By BROCK READ Sarah Tishkoff, a professor of genetics at the University of Maryland at College Park, spent much of the past year collecting genetic data in Africa. Grade-school students can now learn about the fruits of her labor -- and the people she encountered -- at the DNA Hunt, a Web site designed by technology assistants at Maryland. The site uses Ms. Tishkoff's own pictures and sound files to chronicle her expedition, which took her to five African nations: Cameroon, Gambia, Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania. In Tanzania, Ms. Tishkoff accomplished the main goal of her trip: She collected DNA samples from members of the Hadza and Sandawe peoples, two indigenous groups who speak different dialects of click-based languages. She hopes to determine whether the two peoples are related -- and if they are related to the Kung San, who live well to the south but speak a similar tongue. Ms. Tishkoff collected blood and cheek-cell samples from many Sandawe and 150 of the less than 1,000 remaining Hadza. At present, she is working on extracting DNA from the samples for testing. DNA Hunt opens with a text explaining the mission and providing basic information about DNA and genetics research. It includes an archive of some of Ms. Tishkoff's 2,000 photographs from the trip, which focus on people, villages, and wildlife. Also available on the site is a recording of a traditional song performed by Sandawe villagers. Eastern Africa, Ms. Tishkoff says, "is one of the most interesting regions to study in human evolutionary history. It's a fascinating puzzle, linguistically, ethnically, and historically." The region Ms. Tishkoff is studying is also a uniquely important one, according to Kenneth K. Kidd, a professor of genetics, psychiatry, and molecular, cellular, and developmental biology at Yale University. "She's focused on a region that may be the center for [human] expansion through and out of Africa," he says. He also says he hopes the Web site will expand to include more information about the results of Ms. Tishkoff's research. Before leaving for Africa last year, Ms. Tishkoff made plans with Ellen Ternes, a senior media-relations associate at Maryland, to develop an interactive Web site allowing students in fourth through eighth grades to view frequent updates and e-mail questions to the geneticist. The plans for the real-time Web site were put on hold, but Ms. Tishkoff continued to send material for the page by mailing disks with image and sound files to College Park. The Web site was designed by Kevin Ngugi, a graduate of the university who now works as its assistant director of communications and marketing. Mr. Ngugi has a personal tie to the project: He is a native of Kenya, one of the nations Ms. Tishkoff visited. With the Web-page design complete, Ms. Ternes expects to post more of Ms. Tishkoff's photographs by the fall, when Ms. Ternes plans to advertise the site more broadly. Ms. Tishkoff is planning a return trip to Africa, and both she and Ms. Ternes hope to fulfill the original vision of a real-time visual diary teaching students about research and culture. Easy-to-print version E-mail this article

Washington State Supreme Court upholds use of state student aid at religious colleges Jupiter-size giant is among a cluster of 15 newly discovered planets Japanese universities discipline a record number of professors for sexual harassment 10 new chief executives announced A Web site chronicles a genetics professor's hunt for African DNA samples Tailor-made distance programs benefit companies and employees, colleges say