Workshops „DNA – the encyclopedia of life”

The participants of the workshops could not only observe the experiments, which are carried out in laboratories every day, but they also had a unique chance to take part in those experiments. The interested ones could try to isolate DNA from tomatoes and bananas; they learnt why it is not worth making jelly from pineapples or how to close yeast in a capsule.

Young scientists, who tried to make this fascinating but still not well known scientific area more assimilable, spoke about Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO), using DNA in crime detection, and legal aspects of biotechnology – growing and sales of GMO, cloning. Apart from the events run in the market square there were also discussions and lectures in tenement, Rynek 13, conducted by Wrocław scientists about subjects including neurobiology, genetic therapies and biomatierials.

There was also a presentation of laboratory equipment used for scientific tests and research which was accompanied by tasting food produced with biotechnology – yoghurts, cheese, and bread. There were also numerous competitions with prizes. Those who took part in the workshops could answer the competition questions prepared on special posters.

The organizers of the event were: Scientific Circle of Biotechnologists of Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, The Scientific Circle of Biotechnology Students “Bio-Top” of Wrocław University of Technology and Academic Circle of Biotechnologists “Przybysz” of the University of Wrocław.

The biotechnology meeting was held under the patronage of the vice-chancellors: of Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, the University of Wrocław, and the President of Wrocław, Rafał Dutkiewicz.