Saturday DNA! Sessions

April Showers Bring May Flowers

The father of genetics, Gregor Mendel, worked with pea plants in the 1800’s to observe and understand the laws of inheritance. Join us to explore his findings, use microscopes to view key plant structures that Gregor Mendel manipulated in his experiments, and create nutrient rich wildflower seed bombs to take home and plant!

Participants will:

• learn about different pollination methods;
• use microscopes to make observations of plant cells, pollen and other structures;
• create "seed bombs" to take home and promote wildflower growth for bees..

Ancient Ancestry

Mitochondrial DNA is a useful tool in the study of ancient human lineages. Not only does this DNA show us how and when humans populated the continents, it also sheds light on the relatedness of all humans and the illusion of race. Join us to see how DNA can be used to explore the landscape of human origins

Participants will:

• use computers to compare mitochondrial DNA from different people from around the world;
• explore how mitochondrial DNA variations can be used to determine human relatedness;<
• determine when and where the modern human lineage originated.

Enzymes in Action

Enzymes are proteins that catalyze, or speed up, chemical reactions in cells. They are sometimes used industrially to catalyze chemical reactions that produce common foods such as cheese, juice, and lactose-free milk! Join us to explore the enzymatic secrets of some of our favorite foods.

Participants will:

• use enzymes to make common foods;
• observe how enzymes catalyze chemical reactions;
• explore factors that affect the efficiency of enzymes in action.

The Transforming Principle

In 1928, Dr. Frederick Griffith discovered that genetic material can be transferred from one bacterial cell to another, transforming the recipient cell’s traits. He called the genetic material a “transforming principle,” but didn't know what substance caused the change he observed. By the 1940’s, it was established that the genetic material is DNA. Now, scientists routinely use DNA to engineer bacteria and other many other organisms so they acquire many different traits!

Participants will:

Participants will:

• isolate DNA from a strand of harmless, antibiotic resistant bacteria;
• introduce the DNA to non-resistant bacteria and determine if transformation occurred;
• learn about genetic engineering techniques that allow scientists to put other types of DNA into bacteria cells.

Got Lactase?

Over 60% of humans worldwide are lactose intolerant. In humans, lactose intolerance is considered an ancestral trait because mammals usually stop producing the digestive enzyme after weaning off their mothers’ milk. Does this happen in humans too? Why, then, are some humans able to continue drinking milk after infancy? Join us to better understand the very interesting story of how a combination of genetics and culture has affected our evolution.

Participants will:

• Discuss the details of lactose intolerance, and how it affects different populations;
• Use enzymes to digest lactose;
• Investigate the lactose levels of different dairy products.

Enzyme Explosion

The human genome is comprised of over 20,000 genes. Most genes are like molecular recipes, with coded instructions for creating proteins. Come learn how cells use genetic instructions to create thousands of different proteins. Perform an experiment that demonstrates how we can harness the catalytic power of a hard-working class of proteins called enzymes in industry.

Participants will:

• Explore proteins and their many functions;
• Observe chemical reactions catalyzed by enzymes;
• Use enzymes to produce some common foods.