Cost: $15.00 per student
The LSLC is offering four sessions of this class for free on a first-come, first-served basis. Please inquire about the availability of free classes when registering

Sara begins to lose her vision in the weeks following a serious car accident. Why is this happening and what can be done to help her? In this class, students will learn that visual perception involves neural pathways in the brain which can be "rewired" through visual rehabilitation. Students will then isolate and analyze proteins from simulated brain samples to learn about the molecular changes that are taking place during rehabilitation.

Laboratory techniques include:

Protein preparation from tissue samples
SDS-PAGE gel electrophoresis (protein gels)
Paper chromatography

Clinical Trials: Advancing the Field NEW CLASS!!!!

Cost: $15.00 per student
The LSLC is offering four sessions of this class for free on a first-come, first-served basis. Please inquire about the availability of free classes when registering

A patient arriving at the doctor's office is diagnosed with bradycardia (slow heart rate). A new drug treatment may help alleviate her symptoms but where did this drug come from? In this class, students will learn about the heart as they record the effects of exercise on heart rate and perform a live electrocardiogram (ECG). Students will then simulate a phase I clinical trial of a new heart drug using water fleas.

Laboratory techniques include:

Preparation of slides and use of compound microscope
Setting up a controlled experiment
Simulated antibody test

Cholera: An Evolving Pathogen

Cost: $15.00 per student
In the 1830's Rochester, New York was the location of an outbreak of Asiatic Cholera, a disease that causes violent and often, in the absence of prompt treatment, fatal diarrhea. In the past 100 years, modern industrial nations have been largely free of cholera due to advanced water and sanitation systems. However, cholera continues to plague developing regions of Africa, Latin America and Asia. In the 1900's a new strain of cholera emerged, and persons who were exposed to cholera before and thought to be immune were again threatened by this new strain of bacteria. In this session, students engage in a case study that follows the emergence of this new strain of cholera, and the study of its evolution using microbiology and molecular genetic laboratory investigation. (Recommended for high school students only)

Laboratory techniques include:

Gram staining and microscopy
Simulated antibody agglutination assay
Simulated DNA microarray

DNA Fingerprinting

Cost: $15.00 per student
Only 0.1% of your DNA sequence is different from any random person you might meet today. How are those differences detected? Students will learn about the technology used to see those differences in the context of solving a mock crime.

Laboratory techniques include:

Gel electrophoresis
Use of restriction enzymes in analysis of DNA
Identification based on DNA technology

Genetic Engineering

Cost: $15.00 per student
Genetic Engineering refers to the alteration of genetic material in a living organism. This procedure has many applications – from the design of gene therapy vectors to the production of proteins like insulin and growth hormones. In this session, students engage in a case study to learn how to engineer DNA to make an antibiotic resistant and helpful strain of bacteria.

Laboratory techniques include:

Restriction enzyme digest
Gel electrophoresis
Ligation of DNA
Bacterial transformation

Investigate your own DNA

Cost: $18.00 per student
Your DNA is 99.9% identical to any person you might meet today, but what does that other 0.1% look like? One kind of difference in the DNA from different people can be found in regions of DNA known as Variable Number Tandem Repeats (VNTR). In VNTR regions, different people have different lengths of DNA. In this class, students will isolate their own DNA and use the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) to amplify a section of their DNA that contains a VNTR region. They will then compare the sizes of their VNTR regions with the rest of the class to see how likely it is that any one person shares the same length VNTR.

Laboratory techniques include:

Isolation of student’s DNA from cheek cells
Use of PCR (polymerase chain reaction) to amplify a region of each student’s DNA
Gel electrophoresis
Data analysis using MS Excel

Medical Mystery: The Case of the Ailing Infant

Cost: $15.00 per student
A newborn infant is fighting for his life - how could his problem be diagnosed and treated? Students will take on the role of laboratory technicians as they perform different tests to diagnose what is actually a genetic disease. Students will learn about genetic testing and how changes in DNA lead to changes in the structure and function of proteins. Based on a real case, this unit provides a starting point for discussion on genetic diseases, genetic testing, gene therapy and bioethics.

Laboratory techniques include:

Differential diagnosis: Testing for ammonia, glucose and drugs
Paper chromatography
Use of restriction enzymes in analysis of DNA
Agarose gel electrophoresis

Molecular Evolution

Cost: $18.00 per student
Scientists compare proteins across species to determine evolutionary relationships, develop novel drugs, and understand population dynamics. In this class, students will extract proteins from fish and mollusk muscle. Gel electrophoresis will be used to compare the relative similarities and differences between the proteins found in the different species. Information from the gels can then be used to estimate evolutionary relationships between these samples.

Laboratory techniques include:

Extraction of protein from animal tissue
SDS-PAGE gel electrophoresis (protein gels)

Stem Cell Biology: The Adventures of Cryptic Ron

Cost: $15.00 per student
This humorous, but scientifically packed, case study introduces students to the characteristics of stem cells and their potential uses in learning about, and treating diseases. Students will learn about research occurring at the University of Rochester Medical Center and use their knowledge to devise experiments to identify different types of stem cells and their potential for differentiation.

Laboratory techniques include:

Isolation of plant stem cells using tissue culture techniques
DNA fingerprinting using gel electrophoresis equipment
Simulated cell differentiation activities
Simulated DNA microarray