A good night's sleep recovers body and mind - that's why most people spend about a third of their lifetime sleeping. But, exactly how much sleep do you need? What time in the evening will you likely be tired?
Of course, age, sex, nutrition or habitual behavior have a big influence on sleeping patterns, but also genes can make a difference. Find out how your genes are ticking and determine if you rather are an early or a late riser!
This workshop includes restriction digest, PCR and gel electrophoresis.
In this workshop the participants assume the role of a Federal Food Testing Agent trying to detect genetic modifications in food. In order to do so, DNA from different food samples will be isolated and analyzed via PCR.
In Western civilizations, allergies have increased dramatically during the past decade: One out of five persons is allergic to certain foods or food ingredients.
But what does suffering from allergy mean? What happens inside the body during an allergic shock?
This workshop investigates the human immune system and the complex and interrelated processes controlling it. Detect traces of highly allergenic peanut-proteins in different foods! Isolate and analyze DNA employing PCR and gel electrophoresis!
Find out if you have a so-called "jumping gene"! Isolate your cheek cell DNA from a saline mouthwash and amplify the ALU PV92 locus through polymerase chain reaction!
All ALUs are 300 basepairs in length, approximately, and examples for a so-called "jumping gene" - a transposable DNA sequence which "reproduces" by copying itself and inserting into new chromosome locations.
Find out why some people enjoy broccoli, while others can't stand it! During this workshop, you will investigate a human taste receptor gene for tasting certain bitter substances.
Due to variation - in other words, a single nucleotide difference - some people are unable to taste phenylthiourea (also called PTC).
Participants will score their own genotype and try to predict their tasting ability. Class results will show how well PTC tasting fits classical Mendelian genetics, and illustrate the modern concept of pharmacogenetics - where comparable genotypes are used to predict drug response.
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Formed ham, combined meat and imitation cheese, as well as undeclared components in fish and meat products have made the headlines. Fortunately, Food Safety Authorities work to control food safety and alert about deliberate mis-description of foods.
During this workshop, you will learn how food testing is done and get to know various ways to reveal food fraud. You will employ lab methods in order to find out if there are traces of other species in meat and dairy products.
Act like a forensic scientist! You will be generating a genetic fingerprint out of DNA traces found at the site of a spectacular theft crime. Use DNA from different suspects to do so, employing polymerase chain reaction and gene chip analysis. In the end, it will be up to you to compare the suspects' DNA patterns with the DNA traces found at the crime scene and identify the criminal.
