TeachingBase

Towards the First Recombinant Drug Insulin

The discovery and isolation of insulin in 1921, by Banting and Best, paved the way for the development of a therapy which has saved the life of many diabetes patients. Insulin was the first protein to be sequenced in 1951, marking an important milestone in molecular biology. In 1976, insulin became the first recombinant drug - obtained using newly developed genetic engineering techniques - to be used for therapy in humans. Five researchers have earned Nobel Prizes for research related to insulin.

DeCode

What is your name in DNA?
With this computer programme you can translate your name into DNA code and find out whether there are any proteins with your name-sequence in them. This activity was produced by the EMBL-EBI (European Informatics Institute) and is suitable for ages 8 and up.

The stem cell game

The Stem Cell Game presents a basic A to Z of stem cells, reviewing where they are found in the body, the different types, how they are cultured and examples of stem cell therapy that rely on replacing diseased or dysfunctional cells with healthy, functioning ones. The facts are presented in the form of a board game, designed as a non-formal teaching aid to reinforce the syllabus. The game consists of a board and two sets of question cards in downloadable form.

Science and Society: genetic testing

The sequencing of the human genome, completed in 2000, has helped identify many genes which, when abnormal, are responsible for diseases. Genetic tests for some diseases already exist and others are being developed. However, administering such tests reveals personal genetic information, and this can create a dilemma. Deciding how the information should be used and who should have access to it raise complex ethical issues. These and other points are raised in fact sheets and can be acted out in a role play activity.

Discovering bioinformatics: a protein in the World Wide Web

This activity illustrates how biologists exploit the wealth of information in biological databases. These databases collect and store information about genes and proteins (sequence, structure, expression), about human inherited diseases for which the genetic cause is known and links to scientific literature. The activity looks at the Pax6 protein from zebrafish which is involved in eye development. By 'following' this protein in the World Wide Web students can find the human protein corresponding to zebrafish Pax6 (its ortholog), information about its function, structure, sub-cellular location, and molecular basis of diseases linked to mutations in its sequences. All that is needed is access to the Internet.
Italiano

The virtual microarray (Version 2.3)

What is a microarray? How does it work? DNA microarrays are a good example of the remarkable technological tools used in molecular biology today. The virtual microarray brings cutting-edge science into the classroom by simulating the different steps that researchers take in performing microarray experiments and in analysing their results. Using a custom-made mat, Velcro and torches, this activity guides you step by step though this new technology and gives you glimpses of its possible future applications.
Greek

Programmieren in der Bioinformatik mit Perl

In 10 unabhängigen Blöcken führt dieser Kurs ein, wie in mithilfe von selbst geschriebenen Computer-Programmen Probleme der biologischen Datenverarbeitung (Bioinformatik) gelöst werden können. Im Vordergrund steht das schrittweise Erlernen und Anwenden der Programmiersprache Perl auf Sachverhalte aus der DNA- und Proteinsequenzanalyse. Zahlreiche Übungsaufgaben, Musterlösungen und Beispiele in verschiedenem Schwierigkeitsgrad bieten sich zur Verwendung als Unterrichtsmaterial an.