Researchers took children on a ‘Mission DNA’

“Early science education is crucial for sparking curiosity in children,” says Kathi Zarnack, Chair of Bioinformatics II at the University of Würzburg. Driven by this conviction, the professor, together with her colleague Julian König, Chair of Biochemistry and RNA Biology, and with the support of the NUCLEATE Cluster of Excellence, launched the “Mission DNA” project with a primary school in Würzburg.

The researchers visited the Year 4 pupils at their school one day and, together with them, isolated DNA from cells in the oral mucosa and from bananas. On the second day, the 16 children came to the Biozentrum to tour the laboratories and observe cells under the microscope.

Memorable: the cell as a small town

The children were thrilled to see the cells under the microscope. “The image that really stuck with them was that cells are like little towns, with their own power stations, factories, roads and a library where all knowledge is stored as DNA,” says Kathi Zarnack. The children were also impressed by everyday life in the laboratory, such as the cold stores, where it is freezing cold, or the huge pieces of equipment.

The researchers’ conclusion: “Making complex biological concepts understandable at a young age is incredibly enriching!” At the end of the mission, Kathi Zarnack and Julian König were proud of their team for successfully conveying molecular biology in an accessible, interactive and, above all, entertaining way.

Cluster of Excellence also focuses on communication

Science communication and outreach are firmly embedded in the DNA of the NUCLEATE Cluster of Excellence. “To this end, we recently attended FORSCHA, the Munich Science Days, where we taught children the basics of DNA and RNA,” says Inka Busack, who is responsible for public relations within the cluster.

Schools and teachers interested in such programmes can get in touch via this email address: nucleate-cluster@uni-wuerzburg.de

Web link

Würzburg-Munich Cluster of Excellence NUCLEATE