Alberta Innovates - Health Solutions Workshops
UofA Let's Talk Science, in partnership with Alberta Innovates—Health Solutions, is pleased to offer hands-on BioMedical workshops on topics related to the human body. The workshops will be held in state-of-the-art training facilities at the University of Alberta and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. We also can bring our workshops to your classroom. We will also tailor hands-on workshops to fit your teaching requirements. These workshops are best geared for junior high and high school aged students. If you are interested in these workshops please get in touch with us! ltspp@ualberta.ca
DNA Whodunnit?
"You are working in a forensic lab and have isolated DNA from a drop of blood left behind by the culprit at the scene of a crime. There are several suspects and DNA samples have been obtained from each of these possible villains. Your task is to carry out a "DNA finger-print" test to determine which suspect matches your evidence DNA sample. This laboratory exercise will allow you to gain some experience with several DNA methods used routinely in the biotechnology (molecular biology) laboratory.
Vein to Vein
In this workshop, students will staff a trauma centre, learning how to do blood typing (fake blood), crossmatching and finding compatible donors. If you don't get it right, one of your patients will die!
Cells: Microscopy and Cells in Culture
In this wet workshop you will learn how various cells look in culture and under the microscope. You will learn how cells are counted and stained and what cells look like when grown in cultures - techniques used in the work on stem cells, cancer cells and others. Various cell types will be demonstrated in culture. You will stain and look at the various types, including blood cells, and will do a cell count. [Junior and Senior high versions. SH shows more pathology and provides more in cell function (Bio20) or can delve into cell culture/stem cells/gene therapy. Junior high includes identifying parts of the cell or Cell Toss game.
Raiding the Refrigerator: Chemicals in Food
In this workshop, students explore what (bio)chemicals are in food. They test for protein, sugar, fat, salt, pH, starch and active enzymes. Mostly, junk food gets tested, but so do fresh veggies and babyfood. Combines chemistry and biology in a fun way.
Epidemiology
In this workshop you will learn the roles that public health personnel perform. You will learn the principles of epidemiology and then use those to solve several questions about an outbreak of food borne disease (role playing). One of those roles will be as a hospital microbiologist, the other - a banquet attendee! Several other cases will be used to illustrate the importance of infection control in our everyday lives.
