To give visitors an impression of the lab, we instructed them to extract and precipitate DNA from tomato, separate leave pigments by chromatography, and observe brine shrimps in a binocular. We also showed roses growing on artificial media, food products used for mycotoxin analysis, hydroponic chambers, agar plates with fungal cultures etc. Philip, Anke, Yi, Patricia and all supporters: thanks for a great job!
Philip evaluating tomato DNA isolated by the visitors using kitschen detergent, common salt and spirit.
Anke with visitors behind examples of commodities with high risk of mycotoxin contamination. In the front you see a development chamber for thin layer chromatography and leak used to extract plant pigments.
Anke with a hydrophonic chamber for root exudates, explaining hypothesis about the causes of replant disease of roses.
Yi with visitors, on the back Philip at a poster.
Visitor examining a DNA specimen she just prepared; in the background Yi in a discussion with another visitor.
Patricia explaining kids how to extract DNA from tomato fruits.
DNA solution is transferred from a flask to a test tube for precipitation.
Philip checking that brine shrimps are still alive; on the back Anke talking about replant disease of roses.
[Photos and text: Petr Karlovsky]