Crime solving, it's in our DNA

A visit to the Genetics Department at the University of Otago proved to be more eventful than we first thought!

On the 22nd of November, the amazing Mr Phillips and Mr Min took some young scientists (Tahuna kids ) to the Genetics Department at the University of Otago.  

As we walked in we were stopped, apparently there had been a murder! Progressing down the hallway, I almost tripped over a limp body stabbed with a pipette. Once we arrived we were dressed in lab coats and told we needed to solve the murder. 

We were given the names of the three suspects with DNA : Tyler, Caroline, and Sarah as well as the DNA from the victim and the weapon finger-prints. After we inserted the DNA into the wells in the gel we moved onto learning about genetic modification. 

We discovered mutations on flies like no wings, white eyes, and legs on head. We "oohed" and "ahhed" at the flies under the microscopes. After that we had a break by going to the river Leith and gasping in awe at a wiggling eel. 

After that we looked at the DNA samples we did earlier to find out the murderer. With no surprise, we found out Caroline was the murderer. She was arrested and then shoved into a jail cell. At the end of the day, we hopped into the stinkingly hot bus and made our way back to school and the weekend where we could all happily watch Netflix in our flip flops.

Sam McGee