DNA-DAY 2012 - Guidelines for Submission

Fifth Annual European DNA Day Essay Contest
for High School Students

Deadline: Thursday, March 1, 2012

Please read the instructions carefully. The submission process is based on a step-by-step system. All steps are self explanatory and guidelines are given for each of them. Should you nonetheless have problems during submission, please contact our support staff who will be pleased to help you.

• The text cannot exceed 750 words in English.
   
• Whenever possible, please submit essays in English. However, students are welcome to write their essays in their own language and have them translated by their teachers/schools. If needed, the ESHG can provide translation. When the original document was written in a language other than English, please provide the original composition as well as the translated one.
   
• IMPORTANT: If the original abstract is is Cyrillic/Greek  font or containing Baltic diacritics, please do not enter it during the appropriate step, but email it as an attachment to: dnaday@eshg.org, indicating the control number of your submission (it looks like this:
  2012-E-XXXX-DNADAY).
   
• It is allowed to upload one relevant figure/image and one picture of the student with the essay. The figure legend will be counted as part of the 750 words.
   
• You must choose one of the following questions

1. Question 1: It is reported that it will soon be possible to sequence a person's genome for under 1000 Euros. Would you want to have your genome sequenced? What would be the potential advantages and disadvantages , particularly as related to your health? What would you like to know about your health risks and those of your family and what would you rather not know? How might this information lead you to modify your life style or life choices?
    

2. Question 2: Genes exert their influence on organisms by being turned on and off in precise ways and at precise times. Normal development and even behaviour are regulated by these processes, whereas birth defects and disease can result when problems arise during the process of "gene regulation". In the last 30 years, genomic research has uncovered many mechanisms affecting gene expression that earlier scientists could have never imagined. Choose a gene regulation process (some are listed below) and, using references to support your arguments, explain how that process, when it goes wrong, can be involved in the production of disease, such as cancer.
   
   Examples of gene regulation mechanisms: repressors, activators, enhancers, RNA interference, uniparental disomy, imprinting, epigenetic changes to chromatin, environmental modifiers

After having selected one of the questions above, type your essay in a common Word Processor (e.g. MS Word). Please save a copy of the file which includes the abstract text only (no copy of the question or submitter name). This file can then be used for a "file upload" (easiest way of submission). However you have to upload images or graphics separately.

Before being able to submit you essay, you will need to create an account on the submission page (a link is given below).
Please note that after creating your account, you may come back any time prior to the deadline in order to submit the essay or to continue an aborted submission. It is not necessary to create another account. The system saves your input after each step, so when returning to the submission site, you may continue the submission where you left it. You may also return to make changes to the essay until the deadline of March 1, 2012.

1. When entering the submission page, hit the link "Click here to create a new user account" on the left side of the page.
    
2. Fill in all required address fields with information concerning the student and save the personal information by clicking "Continue".
    
3. Locate "DNA-DAY Essay 2012" (on the left) and click on "New Essay" (on the same line on the right).
    
4. Carefully follow the step-by-step instructions until you reach the Summary page, telling you that your submission is complete. If you cannot finish at that time don't worry, you may come back later and pick up where you left off (see below).

1. Login with the username and password that you received when creating the account.
    
2. Locate "DNA-DAY Essay 2012" and click on the displayed essay to be changed or finished.
    
3. Continue your submission or click on desired step you wish to change.

If you are ready, click the link below:

If you need additional information, have a look at the FAQs below.

• The system works best with MS Internet Explorer 7.0 and up. Some features will be available only with this browser, but submission is also possible with other browser versions. A list of compatible browsers is given on the login page.
   
• Cookies and Java Script must be enabled on your system. They generally are. If they are not, the system will tell you on the login page. Please follow the instructions or ask an appropriate person for help.

• Before being able to submit your essay, you will have to create an account. Hit the link "Click here to create a new user account" on the left side of the login page.
  Please create only one account per student submitter.
  The system then saves your information. If you have to stop and continue your submission later, or if you want to make corrections, you will not need to create another account and to submit everything again. See "If you return..." above.
   
• After you created your account, the system will display a password and a username which will allow you to return, edit, delete or continue your essay. You will also receive an email with this information.
   
• Your personal information (and contact details) can be changed, if necessary, by clicking the "Profile" icon (e.g. in case you are using another email address after you submitted the essay). Attention: All correspondence regarding DNA-DAY winner notification will be e-mailed to the address you provide in the "profile section". Please make sure to indicate a valid email address, or we will have problems reaching you.
   
• By the way, if you have already submitted an essay in previous days, the system will still remember you.

• Yes you can.
  Your submitted essay is displayed in the Welcome Area (after the login), together with the information on whether it is complete or incomplete. To edit or finish the essay simply click on the button next to it.
   
• Corrections can be made until the deadline of March 1, 2012.
   
• The submission system stores the information after each step. The moment you reach the "Summary" page and the system tells you "This submission is complete" you are done and your essay has been received.
  However you will still be able to come back and make corrections (if necessary) until the deadline.
   
• Please make sure you print the summary page for your records. The system also has an e-mail confirmation feature. Simply click the appropriate link on the summary page and fill in your email address(es) in the appropriate box.

• For support during submission, please send an email to dnaday@eshg.org describing your problem, or call +43 1 405 13 83 22 between 9.00 - 17.00 hrs Central European Time.

• Click the link below:

• For support during the submission, please send an email to dnaday@eshg.org describing your problem, or call +43 1 405 13 83 22 between 9.00 - 17.00 hrs Central European Time.