Biology Rocks!
27 Tachwedd 2014
Staff within the European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute were able to share their knowledge with members of the public during Biology Rocks!, an interactive event for all ages that took place in the National Museum in Cardiff as part of Biology Week.
Dr Karen Reed attended with a set of simple activities relating to cells which allowed the public to see some of their own cells and identify the nucleus containing the all important DNA "instruction manual" inside. Using modelling clay, they could gain an appreciation of the number of different types of cells there are in the body, the characteristics of a few of these cell types, and an appreciation that those characteristics are regulated by the instructions from the DNA.
Dr Reed enthused about the success of the event –"You can't beat the feeling of shared excitement when someone, no matter what age, grasps the basics of cell biology and the implications of DNA damage and cancer development. It's very rewarding to see the questioning mind being triggered."