Hands-on DNA
Why is it that some people can't stand the most controversial of Christmas vegetables, the Brussels sprout? Hands-on DNA workshops give students the chance to find out.
'A Question of Taste' workshops, developed as part of the Hands-on DNA project, offer post-16 students the opportunity to learn about practical molecular biology. By extracting and testing their own DNA, participants discover whether they have a gene that's linked to our ability to detect bitter tastes.
The Hands-on DNA project was commissioned by the Wellcome Trust and led by the UK Association for Science and Discovery Centres (ASDC), working in partnership with At-Bristol, Centre for Life and Nowgen. The project created 'A Question of Taste' and 'Bacteria Evolution', a second molecular biology workshop for people aged 14-16. Over a 14-month period, these partners ran training academies explaining how to deliver the workshops at 15 participating science centres, museums and other venues.
The workshops have received excellent feedback from teachers and students. One teacher said 'A Question of Taste' was “clearly explained” and “built on AS knowledge”. They added: “We could never do a practical like this at school. Students thoroughly enjoyed it.” The full evaluation report for Hands-on DNA is now available, and workshops are running at museums, science centres and other venues across the UK.