Bacterial Evolution
- Location: Lifelab
- Duration: 2.5 hours
- Availability: On demand
- Age Ranges(s): KS4, 16+
- Minimum Number: 12
- Maximum Number: 24
Students investigate bacterial DNA to discover what modern DNA techiques reveal about evolution and natural selection.
Bacterial Evolution is a 2.5 hour workshop for KS4 and post-16 students, which investigates the struggle between bacterial pathogens and the human immune system and how this leads to evolution, driven by changes in bacterial DNA.
Students step into the role of a clinical bacteriologist and use a restriction enzyme digest and gel electrophoresis to investigate DNA samples from new outbreaks of bacterial disease, comparing them to reference samples. Will the Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria in question cause a mild case of strep throat or a much more deadly episode of necrotising fasciitis?
During the workshop students use research-grade equipment to carry out micropipetting, restriction enzyme digests and gel electrophoresis in our purpose-built teaching laboratory. The session also includes specially-designed activities to reinforce learning about restriction enzymes and evolution and natural selection in bacteria.