Research day for kids: gifted pupils visit BIOSS

10.09.2013

“Now I can make my own microscope, no problem,” said Dr Tudor Bartoi, who is a research assistant in Junior Professor Dr Max Ulbrich’s research group. Dr Bartoi was pleased to learn something new after working with pupils in the so-called Kulturakademie.

The signalling researchers of tomorrow visited BIOSS on 5 September to see what it’s like to work in a laboratory. It was a chance for twenty gifted pupils from the entire region of Baden-Württemberg participating in the Kulturakademie Baden-Württemberg to come to the Signalhaus in Freiburg to work with scientists at BIOSS for a day.

SSignalhaus: front door and atrium, ©Joachim Lerch

The pupils were greeted by BIOSS’s scientific director Prof. Dr. Michael Reth and assistant manager Kari Reulecke, who briefly talked about cells and signalling research before the pupils split up into five groups. Whether signalling occurs inside a cell or between several cells, understanding how this signalling works always requires a lot of effort. This is because the proteins that act as little radio operators in the cells are so incredibly small and are very hard to get a hold of. Researchers have to mark, isolate and alter them to be able to determine what they do. Each of the five project groups therefore focused on different ways of determining signalling paths. The girls and boys taking part in this year's Kulturakademie, which was founded in 2010 for pupils all over the region of Baden-Württemberg, were between 11 and 15 years old. They had been nominated for the academy by their school directors; then they passed a test especially designed for the project. The Kulturakademie cooperates with local institutions to offer week-long creative programmes during the summer and carnival (spring) holidays. The goal of Kulturakademie, an initiative of the Kinderland Foundation, is to give creative and gifted pupils the opportunity to continue to develop their talents in the areas of the visual arts, literature, music, and the sciences – including mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, and engineering. For the science programmes, the Foundation works together with the association Science and Technology e.V.

The five project groups led by members of BIOSS’s research team allowed the pupils to focus on different aspects of signalling research.

Jun.-Prof. Dr. Max Ulbrich und Dr. Tudor Bartoi assembled a microscope in their group. Participants also learned what fluorescence is and how it is used to make proteins visible.

The group led by Jun.-Prof. Dr. Winfried Römer und Stefan Müller also used fluorescence microscopy to observe how poison enters human cells.

Dr. Susana Minguet und Gina Fiala showed their group how to observe and recognise B and T lymphocytes. Participants also learned more about these blood cells and how they can be detected with flow cytometry.

Dr. Thomas Wossning´s group isolated and altered DNA in Wossning’s laboratory.

Dr. Natasha Sprossman´s group tested store-bought milk for antibiotics using a method developed at BIOSS.

Jun.-Prof. Max Ulbrich demonstrates Testing for antibiotics in milk with Dr. Natasha Sprossmann
how to assemble a microscope ©Joachim Lerch
©Joachim Lerch

After finishing their projects, pupils sat down to prepare presentations, which is an important part of being a scientist. That was no problem for these young researchers. Armed with flipcharts and markers, they prepared clear and informative presentations about their projects in 30 minutes.

At 15.15, it was time for the presentations. The classroom was full and everyone was confident and having fun. The sweets Kari Reulecke brought to boost presenters’ morale were mostly eaten by the grown-ups. Each group held a five minute presentation about the research they had done and what they learned at BIOSS, and what questions had emerged during their work. Everyone agreed that the day had gone by very quickly and that not only the young scientists had learned something new, but the BIOSS researchers had too. “I profited from this practical experience because it helped me to finally truly understand the basic principles of light microscopy in all its facets. Now I can make my own microscope, no problem. The participants were so motivated and interested – even more than some of our university students – and that made a big impression on me,” said Dr Tudor Bartoi after working with the Kulturakademie participants. BIOSS is looking forward to working together with the Kulturakademie again, and hopes the young scientists are now inspired to enrich biological signalling studies with their own ideas in the future.