Saturday, May 18, 2024
Step into the shoes of a biochemist! In this session, we will experiment with enzymes—amazing molecular helpers that speed up chemical reactions in living things!
This event is sponsored by STEMCELL Technologies.
Time
Ages 7-11: 8 am PT • 9 am MT • 10 am CT • 11 am ET • 12 pm AT
Ages 11-16: 10 am PT • 11 am MT • 12 pm CT • 1 pm ET • 2 pm AT
Materials and Preparation
Preparation required before the session:
Before the session begins, you will need to:
- Grate or dice an uncooked potato into small pieces (smaller is better)
- You won’t need more than ~3 tbsp of finely chopped potatoes
- Crush one chewable vitamin C tablet (or use vitamin C powder instead)
- Print out this table and graph, or copy them down by hand onto a sheet of paper
Materials needed during the session:
- Your potato, vitamin C, and sheet of paper, prepared according to the instructions above
- A 1 tsp measuring spoon
- 100 mL or more of hydrogen peroxide (concentration of 3% or higher)
- 3 clear cups or glasses of equal size (narrower is better)
- Lemon juice
- Alternatively, you can use vinegar
- A ruler
- Writing utensil
- Optional but highly recommended: A dry-erase/whiteboard marker
Meet the Experts
Faiza Islam
Faiza is doing a PhD in Biochemistry at Western University, specializing in enzyme chemistry. Faiza completed her undergraduate degree in Medical Sciences with an Honours Specialization in Biochemistry. Her research focuses on understanding the molecular details behind enzyme catalysis of an ancient family of detoxification enzymes.
Niki Basilone
Niki is a PhD student at Western University, specializing in Biochemistry. Her research focuses on understanding the structural and functional details of Parkin, a protein linked to Early-Onset Parkinson’s Disease. Prior to beginning her PhD, Niki completed a Bachelor of Medical Sciences degree with an Honours Specialization in Biochemistry of Infection and Immunity, and did a 16-month Internship at Labatt Brewery. Outside of the lab, Niki enjoys playing soccer and intramural volleyball with her friends.
This event is sponsored by STEMCELL Technologies.
This programming was developed by Natalia Mangos, Faiza Islam, and Niki Basilone.
