Learning labs provide hands-on experience with the principles of immunology, molecular biology, environmental epidemiology, electrophysiology, and cardiac physiology. See the listings below for more specific information on each lab or contact at the Foundation for Blood Research.

Specific Maine performance indicators are noted with each ScienceWorks learning lab, as are allied Advanced Placement Biology labs.

Molecular Biology Labs

These labs provide hands-on experience with gel electrophoresis and polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

DNA fingerprinting as it applies to...

Forensics Case - A Promise of Justice: Following a classical case of a "rush to justice", a group of African-American men spend over 20 years in prison until DNA evidence helps to free them. The story presented in the book A Promise of Justice illustrates how DNA evidence is used in forensic medicine. The associated lab demonstrates the techniques of gel electrophoresis and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) used in such cases.

DNA fingerprinting as it applies to...

Prenatal Screening for Cystic Fibrosis (CF): CF occurs in 1 in 2500 live births in the USA, and a mutation in the CFTR gene is carried by 1 in 25 people of northern European descent. CF occurs as a result of mutations in the CFTR gene. The discovery and isolation of the CFTR gene made DNA testing for CF feasible. In this ScienceWorks learning lab, students are introduced to the concept of population screening and perform a DNA electrophoresis simulating DNA testing (including PCR) for the multiple common mutations in the CFTR gene.

PCR is performed in a lab that investigates the out-of-Africa hypothesis of human origins...

PV92 Alu amplifies students' DNA obtained painlessly from cheek brush samples. Using the thermocycler at the ScienceWorks lab followed by gel electrophoresis in the classroom, the class' gene frequency for the dimorphic pv92 Alu insert is determined. Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium is calculated as well as genetic distance from various population groups using data from around the world. A discussion of introns, exons, and the "out of Africa" hypothesis of human origins is facilitated by the ScienceWorks' staff.

Bioinformatics in the Classroom

The ScienceWorks for ME Forensic DNA fingerprinting lab includes a bioinformatics exercise. The pages we use for this exercise are available by following the link above. The exercise is designed for use in the classroom. The pages include instructions that allow students to do an in silico PCR using the forward primer for the CODIS short tandem repeat called D16S539. The exercise is somewhat challenging and requires knowledge of how DNA databases are organized and searched. However, the bioinformatics pages that are part of the 2can project of the European Bioinformatics Institute can help.

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