School Name: SER/SFPS Career Academy
Area of Science: Biology
Project Title: Genetics and the Likelihood of Disease

Problem Definition:
Our model examines population genetics and the likelihood of disease. Breast cancer is the specific disease that we will monitor throughout the population. We want to look at the chances of it reoccurring with each generation. The goal of this project is to make a computerized model to show the chances people have of getting breast cancer.

Problem Solution:
We are using the Star Logo program of agent based modeling to solve our problem. We have taken the basic assumptions of population equilibrium set forth by the Hardy-Weinberg rule. We created a large population of turtles with random genetic makeup. The turtles randomly reproduce and have no outside physical or environmental effects of change on them. To solve our problem we must give each turtle its own properties. One such property is genotype. We are going to watch the breast cancer genotype spread thru each generation to see its frequency of reoccurring.

Progress to Date:
Presently, we are researching the genes involved in the spread of breast cancer. We are still looking at different mathematical population models and agents of change such as mutation. We have established our first generation population in Star Logo. We only need to input the genotypes as properties and watch how the breast cancer spreads through out the generations of population.

Expected Results:
After this is completed we expect to be able to explain how breast cancer propagates throughout a population. We expect that due to the death of females with breast cancer that there will be an increase in the number of males. We also expect to see a slow increase in cases of breast cancer alleles as time goes on because as population increases we expect the number of cases of breast cancer will likewise increase.