On Science Day, the Institute of Biochemistry presented itself to the public and delighted numerous visitors with a varied program. Under the motto “Glowing proteins and elephant toothpaste”, the laboratories opened their doors to interested visitors of all ages.
A special highlight was the “Biochemistry Bingo”, where there were exciting experiments to discover at various hands-on stations. For example, visitors could marvel at how DNA is made visible. At another station, fluorescent proteins were presented - both in living cells and isolated - which caused many astonished faces.
Anyone who wanted to feel like a real researcher could experiment for themselves at the pipetting stand. The “elephant toothpaste” show experiment, in which oxygen is released through the catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide with the enzyme catalase, was particularly spectacular - an impressive example of the “magic” of enzymes.
A somewhat unusual test also caused a stir: mass spectrometry was used to show whether there were traces of cocaine on banknotes - an exciting insight into forensic biochemical applications.
In the afternoon, there was also a popular science lecture on “How do mRNA vaccines work?” by Junior Professor Dr. Franziska Traube. There was great interest and the seminar room was filled to capacity.
Those who successfully completed all the stations of the biochemistry bingo were able to enjoy a water ice at the end - a big hit with the younger visitors in particular.
The new biochemistry degree course was also presented as part of an orientation lecture. Afterwards, interested visitors were able to join a tour of the institute and ask numerous questions.
All in all, the Science Day was a complete success: numerous guests took the opportunity to take a look behind the scenes of biochemical research, get hands-on and gain exciting insights into the world of biochemistry.
