CSI HPM – Crime in the Chicken Coop
Educational workshop
CSI HPM – Crime in the Chicken Coop
Awarded a special recognition by the Croatian Museum Society for the pedagogical and educational program 2016.
Discover the “secret code” hidden in the DNA molecule and explore the fascinating world of molecular biology.
We will explain:
the structure and location of DNA in the cell (BIOLOGY)
the role of DNA in inheritance (GENETICS)
basic methods of analysis (DNA laboratory) and their applications in forensic science (DNA detective work)
Workshop flow:
Part 1
- animated presentation: “What is DNA, what does it look like, where is it found, what is it for, and how do we study it”
- demonstration of nucleic acid electrophoresis using food dyes
- DNA extraction from a banana using everyday household items
Part 2
- solving the “crime in the chicken coop” by simulating DNA barcoding using real laboratory equipment
- first, we must:
- find evidence at the “crime scene”
- extract the criminal’s DNA in the DNA laboratory and amplify the target gene using PCR
- send samples for nucleotide sequencing (“reading DNA”)
- search the gene database for the obtained sequence
- based on the resulting scientific (Latin) species name:
- find the criminal in the “police file”
- locate the “criminal” in the museum’s zoological exhibition
Location and time:
Croatian Natural History Museum, Demetrova 1, Zagreb
Registration: 099 219 2108 or branimir.ivic@hpm.hr
23 November 2019, 10:00–13:00 – FULL
24 November 2019, 10:00–13:00 – FULL
Workshop fee: 50 kuna
Duration: 2–3 hours depending on number of participants. Maximum 24 participants.
(Registration required and one accompanying adult per five children)