Our courses
Air Lab – Tracking the invisible
What does air consist of? How can it be created in an experiment? And does invisible air also need space? In this course, young visitors will discover the secrets behind the air that surrounds us.
Appointments for groups
Groups with 8 or more people can choose an appointment (subject to availablity).
To the registration form for groups
Fire & Flame (ages 5 to 7)
How does fire arise? Which part of a candle does actually burn? And how does a fire-extinguisher work? In this course participants can explore many fire trivia. Finally, they build their own fire-extinguisher and test if its working.
It is suitable for children age 5 to 7 years. It can be also be booked for age 8 to 10 years as well. We recommend not to mix this two age-groups as we approach them differently.
Appointments for groups
Groups with 8 or more people can choose an appointment (subject to availablity).
To the registration form for groups
Splash – Surface Tension and More!
Water skimmers running on top of the water's surface - do you know how that works? And how is it that soap bubbles become perfectly round? Get the answers to these questions and much more at our enthralling workshop on liquids.
Appointments for groups
Groups with 8 or more people can choose an appointment (subject to availablity).
To the registration form for groups
Summer Special (ages 5 to 7)
Salt, sun and sea! In this course, young visitors discover and investigate a summer day. How can you distinguish between salt and fresh water if you can't taste it? Why do we need sunscreen and how does it work? Finally, a cloud is made in our lab.
This course is a seasonal special and can only be booked in July and August!
Appointments for groups
Groups with 8 or more people can choose an appointment (subject to availablity).
To the registration form for groups
Appointments for individual visitors and groups up to 5 people
| Date | From | To | Places | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri | 05/07/2019 | 10:00 | 11:30 | 8 | Register |
| Fri | 05/07/2019 | 15:00 | 16:30 | 4 | Register |
| Tue | 30/07/2019 | 10:00 | 11:30 | 30 | Register |
| Wed | 14/08/2019 | 10:00 | 11:30 | 7 | Register |
| Fri | 16/08/2019 | 10:00 | 11:30 | 10 | Register |
| Mon | 26/08/2019 | 10:00 | 11:30 | 30 | Register |
Cell Detectives
What do human cells look like? What about bacterial cells? What are cells made of and what functions do they have? Find the answers to these and more questions and build your own cell model.
Appointments for groups
Groups with 8 or more people can choose an appointment (subject to availablity).
To the registration form for groups
Summer Science Camp Mini
This course is our "mini" Summer Science Camp for younger kids (8 to 9 years). Pipettes, microscopes and accurate scales are used to explore different topics - from the density of apple juice to bees and honey. At the end of the course a fizzy tablet is used to start a rocket.
The course fee includes a snack and a beverage. Does your kid prefer cheese or rather a turkey sausage? If you register for this course, tell us your preference and the age of the participant(s) in the "message" field.
This course is a seasonal special and can only be booked in July and August! Kids should be able to write and should have finished the 2nd grade.
Appointments for individual visitors and groups up to 5 people
| Date | From | To | Places | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri | 12/07/2019 | 09:00 | 13:30 | 8 | Register |
| Tue | 16/07/2019 | 09:00 | 13:30 | 16 | Register |
| Wed | 24/07/2019 | 09:00 | 13:30 | 19 | Register |
| Thu | 01/08/2019 | 09:30 | 14:00 | 13 | Register |
| Mon | 12/08/2019 | 09:30 | 14:00 | 15 | Register |
| Tue | 13/08/2019 | 09:30 | 14:00 | 17 | Register |
| Wed | 21/08/2019 | 09:00 | 13:30 | 13 | Register |
| Thu | 29/08/2019 | 09:00 | 13:30 | 17 | Register |
Summer Special (ages 8 to 9)
Salt, sun and sea! In this course, young visitors discover and investigate a summer day. How can you distinguish between salt and fresh water if you can't taste it? Why do we need sunscreen and how does it work? Finally, a cloud is made in our lab.
This course is a seasonal special and can only be booked in July and August!
Appointments for groups
Groups with 8 or more people can choose an appointment (subject to availablity).
To the registration form for groups
What Makes You Unique?
Make DNA visible with a simple experiment! During this workshop you can create a special fridge magnet.
Appointments for groups
Groups with 8 or more people can choose an appointment (subject to availablity).
To the registration form for groups
Family Laboratory
This course is suitable for kids ages 8 to 10 and adults (e.g. parents, grandparents) and takes place on five consecutive dates (2,5 hours - once per week). You will learn to work like a scientist: think of your hypotheses, test them and try out your ideas for experiments. Each day will have a different topic:
1 – Liquids
2 – Soil
3 – Flies, yeast and microscopy
4 – Plant pigments
5 – Scavenger hunt in the lab
The five dates can only be booked together, not separately. The whole course is offered on four different occasions each year (Thursdays or Fridays in February and March, Thursdays or Fridays in September and October). If your desired course is already completely booked, you can be waitlisted – just send us a brief message per mail.
Who can register for the course? Kids age 8 to 10 (at least in the 2nd grade of elementary school) with adults (up to 2 kids per adult person).
Be aware that this course in only offered in German.
Appointments for individual visitors and groups up to 5 people
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Familienpraktikum donnerstags12/09/2019 - 10/10/201922 Places
Date From To Thu 12/09/2019 16:00 18:30 Thu 19/09/2019 16:00 18:30 Thu 26/09/2019 16:00 18:30 Thu 03/10/2019 16:00 18:30 Thu 10/10/2019 16:00 18:30 -
Familienpraktikum freitags13/09/2019 - 11/10/201914 Places
Date From To Fri 13/09/2019 16:00 18:30 Fri 20/09/2019 16:00 18:30 Fri 27/09/2019 16:00 18:30 Fri 04/10/2019 16:00 18:30 Fri 11/10/2019 16:00 18:30
Fire & Flame (ages 8 to 10)
How does fire arise? Which part of a candle does actually burn? And how does a fire-extinguisher work? In this course participants can explore many fire trivia. Finally, they build their own fire-extinguisher and test if its working.
This course is suitable for children age 8 to 10 years. It can be also be booked for age 5 to 7 years as well. We recommend not to mix this two age-groups as we approach them differently.
Appointments for groups
Groups with 8 or more people can choose an appointment (subject to availablity).
To the registration form for groups
Soil Scientists – Get to the bottom of our ground
What is our soil made up of? Is it just brown? How much water can be absorbed? Can you form a ball from sand?
In this course, four different soil samples and their characteristics are investigated. At the end of the course, each participant will make his/her own soil profile.
Appointments for groups
Groups with 8 or more people can choose an appointment (subject to availablity).
To the registration form for groups
Summer Science Camp – Junior
The Summer Science Camp Junior is our summer course for kids from 10 to 11 years. It lasts five days full of new facts and scientific experiments. Unfortunately, it is only available in German. For more information, switch to the German version of our website.
Kids should be able to write and should have finished the 4th grade.
Appointments for individual visitors and groups up to 5 people
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Summer Science Camp Junior I15/07/2019 - 19/07/20199 Places
Date From To Mon 15/07/2019 09:00 15:00 Tue 16/07/2019 09:00 15:00 Wed 17/07/2019 09:00 15:00 Thu 18/07/2019 09:00 15:00 Fri 19/07/2019 09:00 15:00 -
Summer Science Camp Junior II05/08/2019 - 09/08/201916 Places
Date From To Mon 05/08/2019 09:00 15:00 Tue 06/08/2019 09:00 15:00 Wed 07/08/2019 09:00 15:00 Thu 08/08/2019 09:00 15:00 Fri 09/08/2019 09:00 15:00 -
Summer Science Camp Junior III26/08/2019 - 30/08/20193 Places
Date From To Mon 26/08/2019 09:00 15:00 Tue 27/08/2019 09:00 15:00 Wed 28/08/2019 09:00 15:00 Thu 29/08/2019 09:00 15:00 Fri 30/08/2019 09:00 15:00
DNA Detectives
What is DNA and where can it be found? Figure it out and isolate DNA from fruit and vegetables. Explore the genetic code and decipher a secret message!
Appointments for groups
Groups with 8 or more people can choose an appointment (subject to availablity).
To the registration form for groups
Appointments for individual visitors and groups up to 5 people
| Date | From | To | Places | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue | 06/08/2019 | 16:00 | 18:00 | 30 | Register |
Two for the Price of one: the Secret of Milk Sugar
Did you know that milk contains sugar? This is the reason why some people and most cats can not drink regular milk. In this workshop, you will remove that sugar with the help of an enzyme also found in human cells.
Appointments for groups
Groups with 8 or more people can choose an appointment (subject to availablity).
To the registration form for groups
Supermodels at the Lab
Observe green, small, thin, round or small models. Not on the catwalk, but under the microscope. Investigate worms, flies, bacteria, yeast and tetrahymena and find out about their lives and their secrets!
Appointments for groups
Groups with 8 or more people can choose an appointment (subject to availablity).
To the registration form for groups
Appointments for individual visitors and groups up to 5 people
| Date | From | To | Places | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu | 05/09/2019 | 15:30 | 17:30 | 19 | Register |
Matter Matters – Mix, separate and recognize matter
In chemistry, matter matters. Everything in our environment is made out of it. In this course, you will Investigate unknown substances and identify them based on their characteristics. With this training, you can bring order into the big mishmash. The task is to separate a mixture of five substances. However, only the correct separation procedure – performed in the right order – will succeed.
Appointments for groups
Groups with 8 or more people can choose an appointment (subject to availablity).
To the registration form for groups
Summer Science Camp – Fortgeschrittene
The Summer Science Camp Fortgeschrittene is our summer course for kids from 12 to 14 years. It lasts five days full of scientific information and experiments. Unfortunately, it is only available in German. For more information, switch to the German version of our website.
Appointments for individual visitors and groups up to 5 people
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Summer Science Camp Fortgeschrittene I22/07/2019 - 26/07/20192 Places
Date From To Mon 22/07/2019 09:00 15:00 Tue 23/07/2019 09:00 15:00 Wed 24/07/2019 09:00 15:00 Thu 25/07/2019 09:00 15:00 Fri 26/07/2019 09:00 15:00 -
Summer Science Camp Fortgeschrittene II19/08/2019 - 23/08/201913 Places
Date From To Mon 19/08/2019 09:00 15:00 Tue 20/08/2019 09:00 15:00 Wed 21/08/2019 09:00 15:00 Thu 22/08/2019 09:00 15:00 Fri 23/08/2019 09:00 15:00
DNA Studio
At DNA studio, you will isolate DNA from cheek cells (which are found in saliva). You will also stain your cheek cells and examine them under the microscope.
Appointments for groups
Groups with 8 or more people can choose an appointment (subject to availablity).
To the registration form for groups
Appointments for individual visitors and groups up to 5 people
| Date | From | To | Places | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri | 27/09/2019 | 17:00 | 19:00 | 20 | Register |
Vitamin cocktail: Shaken and titrated
Did you ever wonder if freshly squeezed oranges really contain more vitamin C than a carton juice? Or do vitamin pills really include the substances as promised on the packaging?
You will shake and titrate different vitamin ‘cocktails’ and even use UV light to detect vitamin B1, B2 and C. So this course does not only cover your daily requirement of vitamin knowledge, it will also provide insights into analytical methods used in the lab.
Appointments for groups
Groups with 8 or more people can choose an appointment (subject to availablity).
To the registration form for groups
Appointments for individual visitors and groups up to 5 people
| Date | From | To | Places | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 23/09/2019 | 17:00 | 20:30 | 20 | Register |
Summer Science Camp -- Profi
The Summer Science Camp Profi is our summer course for visitors from 15 to 17 years. It lasts five days full of new facts and scientific experiments. Unfortunately, it is only available in German. For more information, switch to the German version of our website.
Appointments for individual visitors and groups up to 5 people
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Summer Science Camp Profi29/07/2019 - 02/08/201912 Places
Date From To Mon 29/07/2019 09:30 15:30 Tue 30/07/2019 09:30 15:30 Wed 31/07/2019 09:30 15:30 Thu 01/08/2019 09:30 15:30 Fri 02/08/2019 09:30 15:30
DNA Duplicator
This workshop revolves around polymerase chain reaction (PCR), one of the most important techniques used in modern molecular biology labs - its developers even earned a Nobel Prize! PCR is applied at DNA paternity tests, in order to diagnose diseases and has many more applications. Learn about different applications of this method and copy a plant gene by yourself!
Appointments for groups
Groups with 8 or more people can choose an appointment (subject to availablity).
To the registration form for groups
Appointments for individual visitors and groups up to 5 people
There are currently no courses available.
Plasmid Match
What are plasmids and how are they used for genetic engineering? At the end of this workshop, you will be able to answer these questions. Work with molecular scissors to cut DNA and analyze the results using gel electrophoresis!
Basics: see also "Genetic Engineering: Methods" (in German language)
Appointments for groups
Groups with 8 or more people can choose an appointment (subject to availablity).
To the registration form for groups
Appointments for individual visitors and groups up to 5 people
There are currently no courses available.
Caffeine. What else?
How do stimulating substances like caffeine affect the human body? What is caffeine chemically speaking? Where and in what quantities may it be present in food? In this course, you get to the bottom of the matter and take a closer look at the contents of energy drink, tea and coffee bean. Just like in a real analytical lab, you extract caffeine from food samples, produce your own caffeine standard series, and determine the caffeine content of your sample in the UV / VIS photometer.
Appointments for groups
Groups with 8 or more people can choose an appointment (subject to availablity).
To the registration form for groups
Appointments for individual visitors and groups up to 5 people
There are currently no courses available.
Detecting GM Foods
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.
Appointments for groups
Groups with 8 or more people can choose an appointment (subject to availablity).
To the registration form for groups
Appointments for individual visitors and groups up to 5 people
There are currently no courses available.
Fat chance! – Unmasking phony products
Vegan meat, liquid meat, and cheese alternatives, falsely declared fish and meats fill the headlines with grocery scandals. Official food inspection agencies have their hands full with guaranteeing the correct labelling and safety of food. This course describes the various possibilities for food inspection and shows how animal components can be detected in meat and milk products.
Appointments for groups
Groups with 8 or more people can choose an appointment (subject to availablity).
To the registration form for groups
Appointments for individual visitors and groups up to 5 people
| Date | From | To | Places | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed | 14/08/2019 | 17:00 | 22:30 | 20 | Register |
From Dusk Till Dawn – Chronobiology
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?
This workshop includes restriction digest, PCR and gel electrophoresis.
Appointments for groups
Groups with 8 or more people can choose an appointment (subject to availablity).
To the registration form for groups
Appointments for individual visitors and groups up to 5 people
| Date | From | To | Places | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue | 13/08/2019 | 17:00 | 22:00 | 16 | Register |
Genetic Fingerprint
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.
Appointments for groups
Groups with 8 or more people can choose an appointment (subject to availablity).
To the registration form for groups
Appointments for individual visitors and groups up to 5 people
| Date | From | To | Places | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 08/07/2019 | 17:00 | 21:30 | 14 | Register |
Going Nuts
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!
Appointments for groups
Groups with 8 or more people can choose an appointment (subject to availablity).
To the registration form for groups
Appointments for individual visitors and groups up to 5 people
| Date | From | To | Places | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri | 14/06/2019 | 17:00 | 21:30 | 17 | Register |
Test Your Taste
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.
Appointments for groups
Groups with 8 or more people can choose an appointment (subject to availablity).
To the registration form for groups
Appointments for individual visitors and groups up to 5 people
There are currently no courses available.
Teacher Trainings
To support teachers in adopting inquiry-based strategies in their teaching, the Vienna Open Lab offers special trainings with ideas and practical tipps on how to keep science lessons equally varied and interesting. Our teacher trainings are aimed at teacher from elementary to secondary level and cover no only diverse research topics in life sciences but show experiments easily transferable to the classroom as well. Teacher trainings are all held in German, so please switch to the German version of the page to get a detailed description of the courses we offer for educators.
Zellen sind Trumpf! – Unterrichtsaktivitäten zur Zellbiologie
To support teachers in adopting inquiry-based strategies in their teaching, the Vienna Open Lab offers special trainings with ideas and practical tipps on how to keep science lessons equally varied and interesting. Our teacher trainings are aimed at teacher from elementary to secondary level and cover no only diverse research topics in life sciences but show experiments easily transferable to the classroom as well. Teacher trainings are all held in German, so please switch to the German version of the page to get a detailed description of the courses we offer for educators.
