Attributions
Project and team management, lab work, outreach and side projects such as bioreactor design and the blue-light source were primarily student driven, with guidance on protocol, lab instruction, frameworks for design of constructs and experiments and general advice and team and project management from the academic advisors.
Student members:
15-30 minutes We give a short presentation on proteins including a basic definition, their function, and various examples and pictures. The key here is not scientific understanding but more an intuition of how proteins work linking back to the pineapple experiment as well as the link game. We specify the importance of the shape of the protein. We explain that the function of proteins can be affected by various factors such as heat or light and give necessary examples. This then sets us up to introduce DNA very vaguely as the blueprint which “constructs” proteins. Now that students are familiar with how proteins influence biological function, they can now acquaint themselves with the idea that changing DNA, changes proteins, which change biological function.
45-55 minutes: We introduce the idea of genetic engineering on the above basis. Students are asked to brainstorm examples of genetic engineering they are familiar with. We use reflective questions to guide students into thinking about the social “good” derivable from certain genetically modified organisms and how this links with their ethical intuitions. We then conclude the session by checking on the jelly to make sure it has set. If not, we will prepare spares. We will then handout some prepared jelly for students to take with them into recess.