Otago Biochemists wowed Portobello and Macandrew Bay primary schools last week with a fun introduction to their science.
Led by Miriam Sharpe and Shar Rae-Whitcombe, a small group of researchers and graduate students visited the schools in a portable laboratory called Lab in a Box.
They showed the children how to build models of molecules, use pipettes to measure out precise volumes of liquid, look at different types of cells under the microscope, and extract DNA out of a banana.
"The kids loved it", Miriam said. "We always get them yelling 'whoa' when we show animations of molecules in action, and the 'elephant mega foam' reaction."
"We show the children what sort of molecules you find in living things, and they get to try some of the techniques that biochemists use in their research."
Lab in a box is a shipping container converted into a teaching laboratory equipped with scientific tools such as microscopes. Scientists use the box to provide children and the wider community with access to science they do not normally experience.
