Extracting DNA from banana to pondering upon the scientific definition of life: Amravati kids did it

The 2014 SoS Amravati event, organised at the reputed Hanuman Vyayam Prasarak Mandal (HVPM), saw about 175 students from classes IX-XII and teachers from over 17 schools across Amravati. Professor Indira Ghosh (JNU Delhi) enthused students about understanding “What is Life?” and PadmaShri Professor Ramakrishna Hosur (TIFR Mumbai) spoke about the “Pleasure in Science”. Dr. Madhur Motwani (University College London), a medical doctor by education and a scientist by passion, took students through the process of addressing a scientific challenge in a very interesting and interactive talk. Miss Krithika Rao (University of Vermont, USA) gave an inside tour of her research lab working on stem cells. We also screened the video interview of Nobel Laureate Professor Venki Ramakrishnan, where he answered questions collected from school children across India. After the talks, the students also took part in a hands-on science activity where they extracted DNA from bananas and finally participated in a panel discussion. Much enthusiasm in the form of interesting questions and positive feedback was received during this session.

#Amravati #SoS