On the 1st and 2nd of December, the Year 8 classes spent two hours in the Microbiology Department of the University of Otago.

Ākonga were taking part in a forensic science investigation, using DNA samples obtained from a ‘crime scene’ to determine who was responsible for the death of a Kiwi. The animal footprints from the scene were inconclusive, so the only option was to take DNA samples from the poor, unfortunate Kiwi and try to sequence them so that they could be compared against reference samples.

This involved the Year 8 students learning how to use automatic pipettes to take samples, before putting tiny amounts of liquid into the electrophoresis gel to create the ‘genetic fingerprint’ of the murderer!

While the DNA samples were being processed the students had the opportunity to play a card game to make sentences from works before switching some letters around to learn what happens when mutations occur.

Many thanks go to Dr Wade and her team at the Microbiology Department for a wonderful chance to use their laboratory and its equipment, as well as to Ms. Bishop, Ms. Hillier, and Mr Sparrow for taking everyone there and back safely.