• Rubi Reyes •
• Originally published July 25, 2008 at 12:19 a.m., updated July 25, 2008 at 12:19 a.m.

All the students swished saline solution in their mouth and rinsed for about 10 seconds and spit it back into a paper cup.

“Eww that was gross,” said Devin Perez, 13, referring to the taste of the solution.

Devin, along with 30 other students spent last week at University of Houston in Richard Gunasekera’s DNA, Genetics and Forensic camp.

This is the first forensic camp for Gunasekra, a UHV professor in genetics and DNA forensic science expert witness. He is teaching students how to collect DNA.

“We’ve learned how to get DNA out of bananas and other things,” Devin said. “It’s cool.”

The students learned how DNA helps crime scene investigators solve a crime.

“It’s weird how we can get DNA out of all kinds of things,” Chloe Velasco, 12, said.

On Friday students were able to help solve a mock crime scene by looking at clues and becoming crime scene investigators for the day.

“This has made science a lot more interesting,” Chloe said.

Some students were interested in the camp because they want to be in the medical field someday.

“I want to be a nurse and be able to work work with stuff like this,” Devin said.

For others like Ashlyn Goldman, 13, it was the interest of shows on the Discovery Channel like “Dr. G Medical Examiner” that drew her attention to the camp.

“To be able to actually do what they do on TV was cool,” Ashlyn said.

Rubi Reyes is a reporter for the Advocate. Contact her at 361-580-6578 or rreyes@vicad.com

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