Like something out of a movie or crime drama, Kailey Doherty studied the DNA strand, looking for a possible match.
The 17 year old was trying to catch a killer.
OK, not a real killer. But the lab simulation did use real DNA, and the teenage girls gathered at Kettering University were using the same techniques put to work to solve high-profile cases across the country.
If they keep up the hard work, they'll have their pick of real jobs solving cases.
Or building bridges, or writing computer algorithms, or designing artificial elbows.
Employers are more interested than ever in recruiting women into science, technology, engineering and math fields, said officials and professors at Kettering. The challenge is finding young girls who have interest in these subjects, and convincing them that it's a viable career path to explore.