My first and second paragraphs:  https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/cri-du-chat-syndrome/

https://www.genome.gov/19517558/learning-about-cri-du-chat/

I am a missing piece of genetic material on the arm of the Chromosome 5. I am an unbalanced translocation, which means that I have chromosomal rearrangements. I give my host many problems. The kids at school make fun of me, I can’t help it. I give my host trouble using language, and distinct facial features. My host enjoys social interactions, he is friendly, but he doesn’t speak to others much. He thinks that I embarrass him. I can’t help the way I am. I’ve been with him since he was being created, he’s my best friend. I was created when my host’s parents reproductive cells where created. When my host was born, they gave him a FISH test, a genetic test for them to be able to see me. I am missing genetic material in the short arm, that is designated “p”. There are few pieces on the short arm that I am missing, that scientists think may lead to my host’s disability.

Chromosome 5p at band 13.33, the Semaphorin F gene which is located at Chromosome 5 at band 15.2 and the d cantenin gene which is located on the same band and short arm of the Semaphorin F gene. As there is no cure now for the diagnosis, knowing which genes are missing, can help them come to a cure. As, the deletion of the d cantenin gene is not found in all cases of Cri Du Chat, it makes the intellectual disability of the disability more severe. My host is not missing this gene. Here’s his story.

I am Clark. When I was born, my parents couldn’t tell I had a disorder. They took the normal gene tests on me, and saw that I was missing a piece of genetic material. They had to take a FISH test, to get a more specific result. I have Cri Du Chat, they would go on to tell my parents. Growing up, life was pretty simple for me, I didn’t really know that I had the disorder, while others did. When I was young, I couldn’t be bothered by what others said or thought about me, or anything really. I do now. My face is deformed, people judge me for that. I sometimes have trouble speaking, people judge me for that. I just don’t understand.

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Questions I asked:
– What happened to my gene as a gene?
– What caused my host’s mutation?
– What effects did the gene mutation have on your host’s body?
– How was the host’s life effected? What was their story?

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What questions did you need to research in order to create your mutation story?
– Symptoms of Cri Du Chat.
– Causes of Cri Du Chat.
– What is Cri Du Chat Syndrome?
– How is Cri Du Chat diagnosed?
– Is Cri Du Chat inherited?

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To help me complete this project, I used new websites to help me find correct information, comparing multiple ones together to make sure that the information I used was the best that I could find. To investigate this topic, I started with coming up with questions to ask, so that my research could be well formed, and it would be easier for me to research my specific questions. This project went well for me. It wasn’t very hard, and it helped me understand how genes are formed and how genetic disorders can occur.

In science, we had to create a DNA stem, following the TAC GTA TGA  – AT GC -, using only coloured marshmellows, liquorice, and toothpicks. Each colour of marshmellow reprisented a different letter of the combination that I previously mentioned. I feel that this project was an alternitave way of learning, and was helpful to me and my partner as I imagine as I espically can sometimes be a more hands on learner,as well as being fun, I did enjoy this short project, to really further expand my understanding of DNA stems and how they are formed.

I think that the Skype call went well. Althought I wasn’t there for the call with the Dominican Republic, when I watched the vedio, I saw that the questions and the communacation between our class and the Dominican Republic as well as the connection was very smooth and clear. The questions where thourough and respectful, while also helping us explore new boundries of where we could take our projects to, to create an even wider spectrum of ideas for our project. I also think that the skype call with New Brunswick went well. I think that with this skype call we where able to take the ideas that we had gotten from the previous skype call, and take them to a more realisitc level, because we where able to then ask our questions, and be able to collect more information on hw we could create these lights, while also getting an idea of how other schools are creating thier lights and what they are thinking about doing to give us even more of an idea of what we could be able to achieve at our level of understanding. I think that with both skype calls we where able to make very resouceful connections with people that could have possibly not had the chance to communicate with prior to this occasion, and we would not ave the ideas that we have come to think of now.

So far as a class, we have talked to multiple people, as I have mentioned prior, from the Dominican Republic and New Brunswick. Specifically, Eladio and Dennis, Ian Fogarty, and multiple students from both skype calls. In our groups we have all come up with different ideas, some that interrested our gruop where to be able to create something solar powered, hand powered or by motion, so to basically create a more accesable and efficient light and power source for the Dominican Republic. So to have the skype call with New Brunswick was helpful for this reason espicially because, we were able to communicate with other students who are creating the same project as we are, so it did help to broaden what we have already planned to do into bigger areas, to create the best project that we can. I felt that this was overall a good expirence and where both very helpful sources to us, as we would probably have come out with different results without this communication that where not as good as the ones that we have currently come up with. We have also very helpful connections with who we would probably not have had the chane to communicate with prior to these experiences.

Some of my group’s general ideas to help to create light sources to the Dominican Republic, would be to create a light that uses solar technology to a light source that is powered by your body, or even by motion, as I mentioned before. We want our idea to be realistic enough that it would be achievable for us to create, but still push ourselves out of our comfort zone enough as well, so that it pushes us to create the best final product that we can create, to come to an end result with something that coud be used eventually to create a difference in the lighting situation that is currently happening to the Dominican Republic. So far to help achieve our goal, our group has decided to create smaller goals to make it more possible for us to eventually achieve our end goall, of which I mentioned before. To do this, one of our goals, would be for Kaleb to start creating a model of our light source in his Industry and Design 10 course, to give us an idea of what it would look like. We could get heelp from outside sources of the school, with the connections that we have made from the skype calls, or even with a new source.