Mouse airway epithelial cultures

Schools’ Day 2011

The theme of the 2011 Schools' Day was 'Molecular biology for the future'.

Molecular biology is our best hope for understanding the physical basis of life and sickness and provides some of the best tools man has ever conceived for curing all kinds of disease. Amongst its best known triumphs are the ability to make any protein in a cellular factory and rational explanations of Mendelian genetic diseases.

Talk abstracts

High-throughput sequencing; a revolutionary technique that will change the way we think about genetics

Abdul Sesay discussed high-throughput sequencing and its revolutionary implications for understanding genetics. Not only is it possible to sequence an entire human genome in two weeks it is also possible to compare sequences of the mRNA in different cell types.

Apoptosis (programmed cell death); quality control for cells

Tim Ragan discussed a protein that plays an essential role in apoptosis or programmed cell death of white blood cells and which is defective in patients with a genetic disease called ALPS (Autoimmune Lymphoproliferative Syndrome).

Understanding Down syndrome using mouse genetics

Eva Lana Elola discussed the use of mouse strain containing an entire human chromosome 21 in addition to its normal chromosome complement to analyse the origin of Down syndrome. Using the power of mouse genetics to analyse smaller fragments of this chromosome it will be possible to identify key genes responsible for important physiological functions.

Individual genes and organs

Tim Geach discussed how to determine the role of individual genes in the formation of organs in a very small African frog called Xenopus tropicalis. The procedure is to make mutations with effects seen at the tadpole stage and then to map them onto the genome. The strategy was well illustrated by a description of a mutant (dicky ticker) that affected heart beat that was present in a chaperone protein necessary for correct folding of the myosin heavy chain and for its integration into the heart muscle.

Demonstrations, poster and quiz

In a break for refreshments students had the opportunity to see aspects of the development of various animals including the chick embryo. Posters on display illustrated topical issues in biology such as the recent Nobel prizes: Edwards for IVF, the discovery of Green Fluorescent Protein, the telomeres, and recent developments in gene and stem cell therapy. The day finished with a quiz based on material on show, with prizes.

 

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