May 2005
'Scientists@work' gives over 1800 Flemish students the chance to work in a biotech lab
Ghent, Belgium - VIB (the Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology) is holding the finale of the second edition of its school project 'Scientists@work' in Ghent University's Auditorium. This project - unique in Europe - brings young people into biotech laboratories of Flemish universities, colleges, and companies. This past year, more than 1800 students, under the guidance of practicing scientists, carried out projects in the context of the Scientists@work competition. On 11 May, a jury is to select 3 winners from the 10 finalist masterworks. Minister Frank Vandenbroucke (Flemish Minister of Education) will present the prizes to the proud winners.
A unique project
Science in school is often limited to a theoretical explanation. However, a major part of science is conducting experiments, making discoveries, and testing new methods. But what middle school has a fully equipped laboratory - including the latest materials and the full range of expertise? The solution to this problem seems simple, but it turns out to be unique in Europe: take a team of youngsters and their teacher to the lab!
Dedicated scientists - from VIB and other labs - show 14 to 18 year-olds the tricks of the trade and guide them in taking their first steps in scientific research. The students situate their experimental work in the proper context and supplement it with background information in order to submit it to VIB as a final report.
The response has been enormous: in October, over 1800 young people started a project, assisted by more than 100 project supervisors. 80 teams - totaling some 800 students - submitted a final report. 10 laureates have been selected by a professional jury, and they are to present their projects at the closing celebration at Ghent University on 11 May 2005.
Scientists@work in figures...
169 teams from 100 schools - for a total of 1815 students - started a project: 128 General Secondary Education, 40 Technical Secondary Education classes, 1 team from a youth centre 14 2nd grade (14-16 year-olds) & 154 3rd grade (16-17 year-olds)
79 teams (some 800 students) submitted a final report: 57 General Secondary Education & 22 Technical Secondary Education classes
A jury selected 10 laureates: 7 General Secondary Education classes and 3 Technical Secondary Education classes. The attachment presents an overview of the 10 laureates (listed by province), including a brief description of the project, the school's phone number, and the name of the supervisory teacher. If you would like to receive a group photo of a particular team electronically, please contact: Ann Paeps (Tel. 09 244 66 11; [email protected]), who will send you the photo via e-mail.
Note to the Editor:
VIB, the Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology, is a research institute where 850 scientists conduct gene technological research in a number of life-science domains, such as human health care and plant systems biology. Through a joint venture with four Flemish universities (Ghent University, the Catholic University of Leuven, the University of Antwerp, and the Free University of Brussels) and a solid funding program for strategic basic research, VIB unites the forces of nine university science departments in a single institute. VIB also manages an extensive patent portfolio and distributes scientifically substantiated information about all aspects of biotechnology to a broad public.
Laureates (by province)
Overview Limburg 6 students from the Instituut Heilig Graf, Kinrooi; teacher: Rita Vandickelen (089/70 25 43)
East Flanders 15 students from the Sint-Franciskusinstituut, Melle; teacher: Caroline De Paepe (09 230 79 11) 12 students from the Instituut Heilige Familie, Sint-Niklaas; teacher: Cor Vandevelde (03 776 68 38) Flemish Brabant 8 students from Sancta Maria, Leuven; teacher: Cecile Van Damme (016/23 56 77) 8 students from the Mater Dei Instituut, Brussels; teacher: Cindy Vansantvoet (02/771 08 69) 15 students from the Virgo Sapiensinstituut, Londerzeel; teacher: Mieke Tierens (052/30 14 19) 10 students from Sint-Jozefscollege, Aarschot; teacher: Evi Vos (016/44 41 12)
West Flanders 12 students from the Technisch Instituut Heilige Familie, Bruges; teacher: Kim Vanhoutte (050/44 59 59) 11 students from the Annuntiata Instituut, Veurne; teacher: Hilde Nottebaere (058/31 13 45) 11 students from the Koninklijk Atheneum, Ypres; teacher: Martine Pauwels (057/20 07 29)
Project descriptions
LIMBURG
Molecular diagnostics for sleeping sickness, Instituut Heilig Graf, Kinrooi
Team: 6 students from 5th Technical Sciences, Technical Secondary
Education
Supervising Scientists: Toya Nath Baral, Guy Caljon, Michael Drennan
Laboratory: VIB Dept. of Molecular and Cellular Interactions (VUB),
Brussels
Background info for the project
Sleeping sickness in humans, and 'nagana' in cattle, is caused by the presence of the unicellular Trypanosoma parasite in the blood of the host. The parasites (and thus the disease) are transmitted by a bite from the Tse-Tse fly, and the consequences for the economic situation of Central Africa are enormous: over half a million new cases of sleeping sickness are recorded each year, and the loss in revenue caused by this disease is estimated at more than 10 billion euro annually. One of the problems with this disease is that patients with sleeping sickness are often diagnosed at a late stage. The disease is relatively easy to treat in an early stage, but a lot more difficult in a late stage. Therefore, good diagnostic techniques for this disease are imperative. The VIB Department of Molecular and Cellular Interactions has a great deal of experience in the field of sleeping sickness. Research focuses primarily on the interaction of the parasite with the host's immune system and on developing possible treatments for this disease.
EAST FLANDERS
Make your favorite transgene plant: study of cell division in plants with fluorescent markers, Sint-Franciskusinstituut, Melle
Team: 15 students from 5th Mathematics-Sciences, 6th Mathematics-Sciences, 6th Modern Languages-Mathematics, General Secondary Education Supervising Scientists: Sylvie Coutuer and Rosalie Devloo
Laboratory: VIB Dept. of Plant Systems Biology (UGent), Zwijnaarde
Background info for the project
This project concerns cell division in plants. In this lab, we are interested in the special structures that are necessary for cell division - such as, for example, the mitotic spindle, which ensures that the chromosomes are pulled apart. We are endeavoring to find out which proteins are important for cell division and exactly what they do. We will connect a fluorescent marker (GFP, Green Fluorescent Protein) to interesting plant proteins and put the new construct into plant cells. In this way, we can look at these proteins in living cells with the aid of a microscope and follow them during cell division. The roles of the proteins of interest are studied further with the aid of mutants: over-expression of the gene, knock-out of the gene. With these mutants, we can see whether the cell division is abnormal (for example, cells with several nuclei, dwarf plants, infertile plants). In this way, scientists can find out more about the role of these proteins in the context of a complete plant, instead of only the cell. The goal of this project is to know more about how cell division happens in plants. When we understand this process better, we will be able to adjust the form and structure of plants, invent better weed exterminators, and so on. Furthermore, this research can also help in understanding animal cell division, and thus it can contribute to the search for cancer treatments.
RNAi, or how do you knock genes out?, Instituut Heilige Familie, Sint-Niklaas
Team: 12 students from 6th Latin-Sciences, Mathematics-Sciences, Modern Languages-Sciences, General Secondary Education
Supervising Scientists: Bart den Boer, Ina Fach�, Veronique Gossel�, Michael Metzlaff, Jan Temmerman
Laboratory: Bayer BioScience, Astene
Background info for the project
Plants contain about 25,000 genes in their nuclei. Many of these genes are "on" - meaning that a protein is made based on information coded in the gene. At other moments, these proteins are not needed, and the gene is "turned off". Several mechanisms are known for turning a gene "off". A new mechanism that has been discovered recently is called RNA interference, or RNAi. Through this mechanism, very small RNA molecules can bind to genes or their messenger RNA and thus inhibit protein synthesis. In nature, plants use this mechanism to protect themselves against viral infections: when a virus has penetrated the plant's cells, the plant cuts the virus RNA into small pieces so that no new viruses can be produced.
In this laboratory, we use the RNAi mechanism to better understand the function of plant genes. After induction of RNAi from a gene under study, we carefully follow the plant's development. If, for example, we observe a small change in the shape or color of the leaves or blossoms, we know that the gene that has been "turned off" most probably has a function during the development of the leaf or blossom. The plant gene can then be cloned and studied in more detail.
FLEMISH BRABANT
Cell-Cell communication during embryo development, Sancta Maria, Leuven
Team: 8 students from 5th Mathematics-Sciences, General Secondary Education
Supervising Scientist: Kristin Verschueren
Laboratory: VIB Dept. of Developmental Biology (K.U.Leuven), Leuven
Background info for the project
Have you ever wondered how it is that your lungs fit so well in your rib cage or your brain in your skull? This is the result of elaborate communication between cells in the developing embryo. This communication is established just after fertilization and is carried out with the aid of proteins that are isolated by one group of cells (ligands) and influence the behavior of other cells that contain receptors for these ligands. Using two animal models (mouse and African clawed frog) we are studying this cell-cell communication in vivo and in vitro. The result of this kind of research helps us understand how congenital defects originate. In addition, it provides insight into how tissue repair and certain pathologies like cancer and fibrosis originate in the adult organism by starting up embryonic processes.
Chemical analysis of several parameters in blood, Mater Dei Instituut, Brussels
Team: 8 students from 6th Latin-Sciences, Mathematics-Sciences, Modern Languages-Sciences, General Secondary Education
Supervising Scientist: Jan De Wit
Laboratory: Erasmushogeschool, Brussels
Background info for the project
The technique of venous and capillary puncture is demonstrated by students, and the various blood fractions are prepared with the samples obtained: whole blood, plasma, serum, hemolysate. This entails teaching the techniques of centrifugation, decanting, and pipetting. The hemolysate is used for obtaining a spectrum of hemoglobin, whereby we note the absorption maxima that are determining for the type of hemoglobin: oxy- or doxyhemoglobin. The capillary blood is used to measure glycosylated hemoglobin, a combination molecule of glucose coupled with hemoglobin. This parameter is measured by a column chromatography on ion exchange and is used for following up the therapy of diabetes patients. Via photometry, the total hemoglobin concentration in whole blood is measured: this provides information about possible anemia or EPO use. The plasma sample is used for determining Ca2+ by means of atom absorption spectrometry. This parameter fluctuates between narrow limits, and values that are either too high or too low lead to all kinds of abnormalities in neuromuscular irritability. The serum sample is used to determine K+ by means of atom emission spectrometry. The parameter provides indications about all kinds of tissue damage, for which K+ rises. This increase must be quickly eliminated via the kidney, and thus an elevated K+ can also indicate kidney disorders. Finally, total cholesterol is measured on whole blood by reflection spectrophotometry and teaches the students the connection with cardiovascular diseases.
Vegetarian? Make sure you get enough protein!, Virgo Sapiensinstituut, Londerzeel
Team: 15 students from 5th Mathematics-Sciences, General Secondary Education
Supervising Scientists: Bram Criel, Nancy Terryn
Laboratory: IPBO (Instituut voor Plantenbiotechnologie voor Ontwikkelingslanden), Ghent University, Ghent
Background info for the project
Legumes contain a lot of protein and are therefore very nutritious, especially in a diet with little or no meat. Still, they lack an important essential amino acid: namely, sulfur-containing methionine, which humans and animals must obtain via their food.
In this project, we want to genetically modify beans as well as another less familiar legume - the grass pea - so that they express a methionine-rich protein. Genetically modified beans already exist. These beans will be analyzed by extracting the protein to demonstrate that the new protein is present on the protein gel level.
Research on the grass pea is very active. It's a poignant story, because, on the one hand, this legume is the survival food during droughts in Ethiopia and, on the other hand, it is responsible for a disease that causes paralysis. This disease is probably attributable to a combination of a toxin in the pea and the low methionine content. At present, three students from Ethiopia are working at IPBO on this research.
How do plants explore the soil, or the mystery of capillary root formation, Sint-Jozefscollege, Aarschot
Team: 10 students from 6th Mathematics-Sciences, General Secondary Education
Supervising Scientists: Tom Beeckman, Mirande Naudts
Laboratory: VIB Dept. of Plant Systems Biology (UGent), Zwijnaarde
Background info for the project
Root systems provide for the uptake of nutrients and the plant's stability in the ground. In carrying out these functions, the way in which the root system is constructed is of crucial importance. Thus, there are plant species with a root system that is highly sub-divided and others with a root system that is almost undivided. The precise factors that underlie these differences in root architecture are virtually unknown. In VIB's Plant Systems Biology department, researchers are following the process of root formation in detail by using the simple model plant, Arabidopsis. Using this model, they are endeavoring to chart the changes in gene expression that go with the development of a new capillary root. In this way, they hope to track down the secret mechanisms that plants use to explore the soil.
WEST FLANDERS
Everywhere you go..., Technisch Instituut Heilige Familie, Bruges
Team: 12 students from 5th Technical Sciences, Pharmaceutical Technical Assistant, Technical Secondary Education
Supervising Scientist: Jan Van Doorsselaere
Laboratory: KATHO (Katholieke Hogeschool Zuid-West-Vlaanderen), Roeselare
Background info for the project
This module consists of several parts. First of all, through the use of news articles, scientific texts and video fragments, we learn the various conditions in which bacteria can appear: including the phenomenon of the luminous fish, bacteria in North Pole waters and warm water sources, cholera epidemics, bacteria in the digestive systems of termites and cows (among others), micro-organisms on old paintings and on plants, in the mouth, in clinics, etc. The students carry out particular assignments and seek answers to questions. The problem of resistance to antibiotics can also be included.
In a second part, a number of experiments are conducted: infecting roots of white clover with Rhizobium bacteria with the formation of tubers, growing bacteria on culture media, testing bacteria for resistance to certain antibiotics, etc.
Genetically modifying agricultural crops, Annuntiata Instituut, Veurne
Team: 11 students from 5th Technical Sciences, Technical Secondary Education
Supervising Scientists: Els Bonne, Stefan Jansens, Guy Preem, Arlette Reynaerts, Bernadette Saey, Sofie Vrijghem
Laboratory: Bayer BioScience, Astene
Background info for the project
Since the establishment of the company, work has been performed on obtaining new varieties of agricultural crops that are protected against harmful insects. The approach that has been developed for this is based on a natural insecticide, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). This species of bacterium, of which various types occur in nature, produces a protein that is harmful to certain species of insects, such as caterpillars, for example. This protein has a very specific action and is therefore harmless to other organisms. On the basis of this property, it is used as a natural insecticide. This application has clear advantages, but several disadvantages as well. The main disadvantage is the product's instability when applied as a spray. In addition, the protein is not absorbed by the plant, so that weevils that cause damage inside plant organs cannot be combated.
The approach that has been developed in our laboratories entails modifying the plant's DNA in such a way that the plant itself begins to produce the Bt protein and thus is constantly protected against attacks by harmful insects.
The gene responsible for the production of the protein is isolated from the genome of the bacterium and then introduced into a vector with which the plants are modified. These plants then produce the protective protein themselves. This technique is now being applied in several agricultural crops, such as corn and cotton.
Further research is now going on to develop new varieties that will increase the sustainability of the approach. This entails expressing several proteins, which exhibit a different spectrum of action, in the plant tissue at the same time.
What happens in a plant under stress?, Koninklijk Atheneum, Ypres
Team: 11 students from 5th and 6th Mathematics-Sciences, General Secondary Education
Supervising Scientists: Olivier Van Aken, Frank Van Breusegem, Korneel Vandenbroucke
Laboratory: VIB Dept. of Plant Systems Biology (UGent), Zwijnaarde
Background info for the project
Plants are regularly exposed to varying environmental conditions, resulting in stress. A characteristic of stress in plants is the cellular accumulation of reactive oxygen molecules, such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). High H2O2 concentrations inflict serious damage to plant cells, which can lead to cell death. Therefore, it is essential that the cellular H2O2 concentrations be strictly regulated. This regulation takes place through catalase, an enzyme that converts H2O2 to O2 and H2O. Genetically modified plants with a sharply reduced catalase production exhibit an elevated H2O2 accumulation and are consequently an excellent model system for the study of H2O2 in plants. In this research group, these catalase-deficient plants are used to study the role of H2O2 during stress and cell death in plants.