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San Diego County residents often encounter an unusual sight—a van decorated with a fruit fly surfing a wave made of the double helix structure of DNA. The creatively decorated vehicle is the Salk Institute's Mobile Science Laboratory, which teaches students in grades 6 through 8 about DNA and genetics.
Neurobiologist Ellen Potter started the Mobile Lab in 1996. It now travels to more than a dozen schools each year and also participates in community science fairs under the direction of Dona Mapston, Education Specialist. Equipped with three days' worth of science lessons, the lab makes its way around San Diego, visiting a different middle school every two weeks.
On day one, students learn about genes and mutations by studying populations of fruit flies under a microscope. The next day, they extract DNA from wheat germ. "This is usually a 'wow' experience for them," says Potter.
Finally, the students learn how to separate DNA fragments, a key step to identifying genes, using electrical fields in a technique called electrophoresis. There is one exception; instead of DNA, the students experiment with food coloring. Dona Mapston can be contacted at mapston@salk.edu.
If you are interested in having the Mobile Science Lab come to your school, please contact the San Diego County Office of Education to reserve the Salk Mobile Lab.