A forensic-biological escape room, participation in a cancer diagnosis, a 'colourful bacteria' show, DNA isolation from a strawberry, mysteries of the bottom of the seas and oceans or a workshop on a genetic model - the fruit fly - these are just some of the attractions prepared by the students and staff of the Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology UG and MUG and the Faculty of Biology UG as part of Biologists' Night 2024.
The Night of Biologists will take place on January 12, 2024, at the University of Gdansk for the 13th time. This year's slogan for this nationwide initiative is 'Secrets of life from cells to the biosphere'. Scientific centres from all over Poland are taking part in the event. On this occasion, the students and staff of the Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology UG and MUG and the Faculty of Biology have prepared a number of shows, games, experiments and lectures.
Biologists' Night at the Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology UG and MUG
Visitors to the Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology UG and MUG on a winter Friday will have the opportunity to take part in the game 'Build a Helix', during which everyone will be able to create their own DNA. The younger participants of the Biologists' Night will be able to play a game entitled 'Cellular Structures', which will teach them in a fun way what cells are made of and what role their components play. The BIO-MED Scientific Circle has also prepared a forensic-biological escape room, where the main objective will be to find a kidnapped scientist by solving puzzles with a biological theme.
Doctoral students from the Departments of Molecular Enzymology and Oncology and Translational Oncology have prepared the fun game 'Tumours and Company'. Thanks to puzzles and memory cards created especially for the event, children and young people will learn what the cells of different cancers look like and what distinguishes them from each other. Chromosome models and an interactive scale game will help them learn about some of the distinguishing features of cancer cells, and the 'Become a Polymerase' game will allow them to see how mutations arise. Participation in a short puzzle game will enable them to play the role of a doctor, diagnose a patient's cancer, and select the appropriate treatment.
Visitors to the Biologists' Night will also have the opportunity to paint their miniature works of art with different coloured... cyanobacteria. They will also find out what viruses are and create 3D models of them. Gourmets will be able to make little balls filled with juice, which will be the main ingredient in a handcrafted bubble tea drink.
For older participants of the event, the UG International Centre for Cancer Vaccine Research has prepared a demonstration where we will learn what epigenetics is, how it differs from genetics and how we can use this phenomenon in medicine, including cancer therapies.
The students have also prepared a course in pipetting, something that biotechnologists are as skilled at as breathing. At the stand, there will be an opportunity to learn how to operate each lab technician's professional equipment properly. Ultimately, everyone will have the chance to use their acquired skills in a competition for the fastest and most accurate pipetting.
In addition, there will be a range of laboratory activities for participants at the event, including 'Light in the dark, or the thing about bioluminescence', 'Do your culture!', 'The blood group puzzle' and many more.
Check out the full programme (available in Polish) of the Biologists' Night at the Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology UG and MUG.
Biologists' Night at the Faculty of Biology
In parallel, the event will also take place at the Faculty of Biology. A number of attractions have been prepared for visitors - from competitions, demonstrations, and workshops to lectures and even excursions. Both the youngest and slightly older participants of Biologists' Night will have the opportunity to test their knowledge of the size of atoms, biomolecules and organisms in the 'From an atom to a coffee bean' competition.
Fossils hold many secrets. What organisms lived millions of years ago? What made them survive in the form of fossils? This is what you will be able to find out in the palaeontology corner. At the same time, students from the Oceanographers' Scientific Circle will talk about immortal organisms, glowing creatures, and what hides on the sea bed. For those wondering how a bioreactor works, there will be a workshop to look at how algae are cultured under laboratory conditions and watch algal cells' movement under a microscope.
The question 'Where does oxygen come from?' will be answered by Botanical Herbal Student Scientific Circle members. The students will explain how life-giving gas is created and how our green allies release it. There will also be a chance to see how a plant breathes and to solve a botanical quiz.
Older youngsters attending the event at the Faculty of Biology will have the chance to see how to make a Winogradski column themselves and participate in a workshop on making beeswax wrap, an alternative to cling film and silver foil.
Those who like to take care of their beauty in a natural way will prepare professional and 100% natural face, mouth, nose and eye masks, while those who prefer artistic activities will make cell organelles out of modelling clay during the 'Make Your Own Cell' workshop.
Staff from the Biology Department have also prepared a series of lectures for both the youngest and older students, including: 'Secrets from the Life of Birds', 'Animal Courtship, or Mating Strategies of Different Vertebrate Clusters' or 'The Importance of Lake Aquatic Ecosystems: Discovering the World from Microscopic Algae to Aquatic Vascular Plants'.
During Biologists' Night, there will also be the opportunity to look into the nooks and crannies of the department. A tour of the Department of Animal and Human Physiology will include a demonstration of wet mounts of rat neural tissue and an introduction to the rat brain atlas by Paxinos and Watson (2007). Visitors will have the chance to see apparatus for stereotactic surgery and electrical brain stimulation in animals.
An unusual opportunity will be a tour entitled 'Night Life in the Zoo', during which visitors can observe the activities of the zoo's inhabitants at night. The Gdynia Aquarium has prepared a meeting entitled 'The Art of Adaptation', where participants will play the role of nature designers, discovering the secrets of animal adaptation to various environments. They will be helped by tips describing adaptations to different environmental conditions.
For those unable to visit the UG Faculty of Biology on that day, several online lectures have been prepared, including: 'Is It Worth Eavesdropping on Rats? Using Measurement and Analysis of Ultrasonic Vocalisation in Behavioural Research' and 'Better Measure your Fingers - Is There a Predisposition to Being a Criminal?'.
Take a look at the full programme (in Polish) of Biologists' Night events at the Faculty of Biology.