For Teacher Appreciation Week, We Investigate Tech Trunks

Wednesday, May 8th, 2013

The Danforth Plant Science Center and its partners invite your classroom to conduct experiments in biotechnology and other areas of applied science using state-of-the-art equipment and supplies.

Tech(nology) Trunks is a no-cost equipment loan program that supports biotechnology education in St. Louis area high schools. Beyond small-sized equipment, the trunks include materials and supplies to conduct an array of activities as well as student-tested protocols, worksheets and other valuable resources. Training workshops are held for teachers at the Danforth Plant Science Center each summer. Workshop participation is mandatory for being able to check out and use the trunks in the classroom. Trained teachers can request use of a trunk in their classroom(s) for a 2-week period to advance student learning in biology, biotechnology and genetics. The Tech Trunk program is made possible through the generous support of THE BOEING COMPANY. Supplemental funding for the development of new “themed” trunks comes from the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, the American Society of Plant Biologists, and gifts and donations from the Danforth Plant Science Center and individuals interested in providing new educational opportunities for students in the St. Louis region.

Fleet of trunks currently available:
DNA BIOTECHNOLOGY – The DNA Biotechnology Trunk contains equipment and support materials needed for students to conduct basic DNA-based experiments. The trunk contains supplies for extracting DNA from a biological source. It also contains purified DNA (plasmid), both whole and pre-digested with restriction enzymes, for your students to conduct a DNA fingerprinting experiment. Included in the trunk are electrophoresis chambers, power supplies, a high speed microcentrifuge, low speed mini-centrifuges, light boxes for viewing stained gels, and micropipetors, as well as the expendables needed to run an experiment. Supplies to practice micropipeting are included. The basic trunk will accommodate a class size of 24 students, and if requested, the trunk materials can be added to accommodate up to 36 students in a classroom. This trunk is available for a two-week loan period, and multiple users from the same school are asked to coordinate their loan requests.

PROTEIN ELECTROPHORESIS TRUNK – includes equipment needed to perform polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) of proteins in the classroom (with an extension upon request to perform a western blotting experiment).

DNA ANALYSIS BY PCR TRUNK – includes much of the equipment in the DNA Biotechnology Trunk, plus a student-friendly thermal cycler- the BioRad MyCycler, for performing polymerase chain reaction experiments using different scenarios.

GENE EXPRESSION PROFILING USING MICROARRAY – supports student understanding of technologies used to study gene transcription and gene expression based upon DNA chip-based methodologies. The trunk provides information and materials needed to conduct paper, electronic and wet lab simulations of DNA microarray analyses using different real-time scenarios safely and inexpensively in the classroom. 

The DNA Biotechnology Trunk contains equipment and support materials needed for students to conduct basic DNA-based experiments. The trunk contains supplies for extracting DNA from a biological source. It also contains purified DNA (plasmid), both whole and pre-digested with restriction enzymes, for your students to conduct a DNA fingerprinting experiment. Included in the trunk are electrophoresis chambers, power supplies, a high speed microcentrifuge, low speed mini-centrifuges, light boxes for viewing stained gels, and micropipetors, as well as the expendables needed to run an experiment. Supplies to practice micropipeting are included. The basic trunk will accommodate a class size of 24 students, and if requested, the trunk materials can be added to accommodate up to 36 students in a classroom. This trunk is available for a two-week loan period, and multiple users from the same school are asked to coordinate their loan requests.

New trunks currently being developed to support learning in the following areas of study:
THE BIOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY OF LIPIDS
PHOTOSYNTHESIS/BIOENERGY
PLANT TISSUE CULTURE
PLANT HYDROPONICS

Contact Dr. Terry Woodford-Thomas, Director of Science Education and Outreach at the Danforth Plant Science Center for further information:
tthomas@danforthcenter.org or (314) 587-1436.

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