The National holds 'webinar' for ‘Genes in Space’ competition

ABU DHABI, 29th June, 2016 (WAM) -- The National newspaper is organising a webinar, or web-based seminar, for students, teachers and other parties involved in the ‘Genes in Space’ competition, part of the National Space Programme, on Wednesday. The event aims to help participants develop competitive presentations by identifying the challenges facing DNA analysis in outer space. Winners of the contest, which is being organised in collaboration with the UAE Space Agency and the Boeing Company, will have the opportunity to observe astronauts conduct experiments on-board the International Space Station, ISS. Successful contestants will also be hosted in the United States, where they will watch the launch of the rocket that will carry the experiment into space. The competition involves students presenting a gene amplification experiment using polymerase chain reaction. The process will later be replicated in the low-gravity environment of the ISS. The contest is open to students from grades 7 to 12, who are able to work individually or in groups of up to four. They will receive instructions and advice from scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University as well as Khalifa University. Mohammed Al Otaiba, Editor in Chief of The National, said, "This webinar is part of our commitment to support national innovation initiatives and increase national awareness about the latest in space science and technology. This is done through the launch of several initiatives that aim to help participants put together more competitive proposals in order to win the competition." Al Otaiba added, "The National Space Programme will help encourage the generation graduating from schools and universities to conduct experiments in space sciences and other scientific fields. The Genes in Space competition, which comes as part of these efforts, therefore translates our responsibilities into achievements and advances by the UAE on the world stage." He explained that these initiatives fall under the newspaper’s social responsibility and are in line with its role of supporting community development. He also noted that this contest is part of The National's contribution to Abu Dhabi Vision 2030 and the UAE Vision 2021. Sheikha Al Maskari, Chief Innovation Officer at the UAE Space Agency, said, "The UAE Space Agency’s support for the Genes in Space competition is part of our plans to promote a culture of innovation and scientific research among school students throughout the UAE." She continued, "A competition like this can help inspire more students to study space sciences and its applications. Ultimately, they will be motivated to lead the national space sector in the future, and to support it with the expertise needed for its long-term growth and development." Peter McGrath, Director of Business Development at Boeing’s Space Exploration Division, said, "Boeing committed to bring this unique competition to the UAE because we believe that the UAE has a promising youth that are capable of acquiring the necessary skills to excel in space research fields. This workshop will bring huge benefits to those participating in the competition, in terms of providing them with knowledge and experience in gene research and space sciences. This will contribute to an increase in the number of presentations submitted to the competition." – Emirates News Agency, WAM - http://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates/1395297248484.html