Introduction to Molecular Biology, Genetics, and Bioinformatics Workshop
Genotypic variation on our dinner plate!
Virtual Workshop for Grade 12 students
Presented in collaboration with the McMaster University Department of Biology
Description of Activity
Not all biological research is carried out on a lab bench or at a field site. In this workshop we will use a number of freely available online databases to explore the biochemistry, genetics, and molecular biology of a food item we are likely all familiar with: sweet corn. Students will be led through protein-related data that characterize the enzymes involved in regulating the sucrose and starch content of corn kernels. To understand the biology behind sweet corn, we will focus on one enzyme and the gene encoding this enzyme in order to learn how plants have naturally changed to produce a delectable alternative to field corn. We will use a variety of online tools and websites (eg. KEGG and NCBI) to first compare the gene and protein structure of this key enzyme in corn and then extend this survey to other plants and bacteria. While this workshop focuses on one enzyme and its associated gene, the tools and the websites we will use can be broadly applied to study other genes in different organisms.
This guided workshop can take about two hours to complete. Student access to the internet is required. Teachers can contact Dr. Elizabeth Weretilnyk for additional information and workshop availability.
Biology Greenhouse
The Biology Greenhouse is a teaching and research facility in the Department of Biology. While many plants are grown in the short term for research studies, the permanent collection is used in plant biology classes offered by the Biology Department and for outreach to local schools and the public.
The Greenhouse, with its 780 square meters under glass, houses a richly diverse collection of live plants encompassing more than 217 species in 150 genera from over 77 plant families. The plant collection contains bamboo, insect-eating cobra plants, a chocolate tree, a coffee tree, a palm tree, sugarcane, cycads, bananas and more!
Please contact Dr. Susan Dudley if interested in touring the Greenhouse. Also, check out their Instagram page! @mcmasterbiogreenhouse