Cells don't care about weekends, they don't care about Christmas, and they never call it a day. This is why 500 scientists from 53 nations at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) are absolutely flexible and in the lab 24/7 – not only during Science Night. But for that night we switch from lab routine to a summer night with spectacular, fascinating experiments.
You can learn more about planarians, the masters of regeneration, explore the 3rd dimension in microscopy, or extract DNA from bananas. Or look at the abundance of small animals living in our Institute pond! And there's a huge Kids Area with fun hands-on stuff to do - like guiding a laser through a labyrinth of obstacles or building DNA from sweets.
The program at the MPI-CBG
- 6PM LECTURE: Has there been evolution?
Dr. Michael Hiller, group leader, on Intelligent Design vs. Evolution more info - 7PM LECTURE: A gene for more brain
Prof. Wieland Huttner, director and group leader, on the gene ARHGAP11B that causes the cerebral cortex to expand. more info - 6PM-9PM The Open Air Lab – Life in the pond
Take samples from the Institute pond and analyse them under the microscope. more info - 6PM-10PM Guide your Light Competition
Find your way through a laser labyrinth. more info - 6PM-11PM Transgenic Core Facility
Learn more about embryonic stem cells, microinjection systems, transgenic mice, and animal welfare. more info - from 6PM Harry Potter's Invisibility Spell
Make things invisible. A magic trick or an optical illusion? more info - from 6PM Fluorescent zebrafish
Observe developing zebrafish under the microscope and see their heart beat! more info - from 6PM Why did the fly fly?
A game that will teach you more about fruit flies - level by level. more info - from 6PM The 3rd dimension in microscopy
Virtual reality and 3D printing more info - afrom 6PM Molecular motors and nano robots
Bionanotechnology, offered by B CUBE (TU Dresden) more info
- from 6PM See the world within ourselves
A tour of the electron microscopy facility. more info - from 6PM Head or Tail?
Planarian research and regeneration more info
- from 6PM Science Smoothie - Extracting DNA
Extracting DNA from bananas with kitchenware? Doing experiments in English with international scientists? It's easier than you might think - just give it a try! You'll see: Science is fun! more info
Find the entire program of the Dresden Science Night at www.wissenschaftsnacht-dresden.de
