DNA & Life
Biodiversity and molecular biology
The DNA & life educational program is based on one of the newest DNA methods for examining biodiversity. DNA & life is a unique citizen science project where high school students map selected aquatic animals in Denmark by analyzing environmental DNA (or eDNA) collected in fresh, salt and brackish water.
At DNAlab, your class will be given an opportunity to learn about molecular biology, bioinformatics, biodiversity, and ecology.
DNA & life – high school students in frontline research
DNA & life brings high school students up close and personal with the research and into the researcher’s workspace in the museum’s DNA laboratory, DNAlab. Here they help develop methods, collect and analyze data and samples for use in research and management. Read some of the already published scientific articles HERE.
DNA & life is supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation and is carried out in collaboration with the Danish Environmental Protection Agency were DNA & life examines Danish bodies of water to find environmental DNA. The goal is to detect the spread of selected non-native species.
The Danish Environmental Protection Agency works on, among other things, securing Danish nature from invasive species. The high school students can help with this, both by collecting environmental DNA in the field and by carrying out laboratory analyses of these samples in our DNAlab.
Time and registration for both field-and laboratory work will appear on our website before each relevant season.
Field work
The project DNA PÅ FORKANT opens for field work for the collection of environmental DNA samples in Limfjorden. Read practical information about the field work HERE.
DNA & life courses
During the fieldwork in January and February, environmental DNA samples are collected in Limfjorden in the project “DNA på FORKANT”. Some of these samples will be analysed in the museums DNAlab as part of the DNA & life laboratory work. When registration for this opens it will appear here on the website. Read practical information about the course HERE.
Laboratory methods
Field work & Collecting DNA
Participate in lab work
Practical information
Contact
Marie Rathcke Lillemark
Project manager
Maria Rytter
Teacher and developer
Sarah Hagel Svendsen
Teacher and developer
Email: dnalab@snm.ku.dk
See our Danish website.
What do the teachers say:
"I highly recommend the course to others. Actually, I already did, and I also booked the course for my second class. The students and I think that this is a really great biology-biotechnology course, partly because the theme, biodiversity, is highly relevant, and partly because the way that the real-time PCR is done, is very involving - the students get a hands-on and thorough understanding of the technique. Finally, the part where we identify the species by using a classical identification key is a good way to learn biology - this kind of teaching we could never manage to do in our own class room."
Karin, teacher at Ordrup High School
"Thank you for a really great course! This is the second time I visit DNAlab - this time with a first year high school class in biology. DNA & life is a highly relevant course that fits in well with our level of biology teaching. My students went home with lab experience and insight into biological and modern biotechnology methods. For a day, the students felt like real researchers at the university. I’m very positive towards the contents, the relevance, and the teaching quality. It’s just great that you get a course that combines biotechnology and biodiversity, and at the same time suits our level of teaching. I highly recommend this course to all biology and biotechnology teachers"
Peter, teacher at Hillerød Technical High School
"The experience and knowledge that my students got from working with real-time PCR was great. The combination of traditional species identification and eDNA is really great because the students get to do cross disciplinary work. This gives the students a good overview of the many disciplines in the field of biology."
Nils, teacher at Vordingborg High School
"Thank you DNAlab. I highly recommend you to other high schools! I chose this project because the students get to be part of a larger research project. This gives the students a lot of insight in lab work, the importance of lab routines, seeing a professional lab, and they get a sense of what it means to work in a lab and all the processes that are involved. The project combines field biology and molecular biology and we get to work with the whole ecosystem down to the smallest parts of a DNA molecule."
Marie, teacher at Køge Private School
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