NBIC@the museum
10 Nov 2009
During 'Oktober Kennismaand' (October: Month of Knowledge), NBIC was present at Scientific, a science festival hosted by Science Centre NEMO in Amsterdam. The festival was themed 'Travelling into the unknown' and focused on the study of things that are for example very far away, happened in the past or are extremely small, such as DNA. NBIC and the Cancer Genomics Centre were invited by NEMO to demonstrate their respective 'DNA-labs on the road' (in Dutch: Reizende DNA Labs) to the audience, but with an additional request for NBIC to focus its bioinformatics@school material on the younger children aged 6-12.
Candy molecules
NBIC presented three computer-based demo's that stimulate children to think about DNA in a very playful manner. "With the DNA Balance, you can calculate how many grams of DNA you have in your body based on characteristics like age, height and weight", explains Hienke Sminia, officer education at NBIC. "We also presented a game called DNA Inclusive, in which the children have to decide whether familiar products like apple juice or peanut butter contain DNA or not. And in the third demo, we used the Yasara programme to show the children very small molecules, which they had to build using candy and cocktail sticks."
Expand audience
According to Hienke, the NBIC demo's were a big hit with the children. Not surprisingly, building molecules out of candy was especially popular. "Of course, at this young age they do not completely understand what they are doing, but they were already very good at the DNA Inclusive game. And they do realise that the world around them is made up out of tiny little particles." This type of spin-off from the bioinformatics@school project is definitely something that NBIC will actively pursue, says Hienke. "We are currently working out the best way to expand our audience and also include primary school pupils in our bioinformatics@school activities."
Suited for adults
Next to presenting bioinformatics to children and teens, NBIC also readily springs to action when it comes to 'educating' adults. Recently, NBIC was present during a lecture on genetic descent organised by the Centre for Society and Genomics at the Boerhaave Museum in Leiden. The various demo's are definitely suitable for adults as well, says Hienke. "They are also curious to learn how much DNA they carry around in their body."
All NBIC activities relating to education and public communication are regularly posted on the Events calendar.
