This course, the pupils of Biology and Geology went to the Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP). The main aims of the visit were to understand Paleontology as a discipline between Biology and Geology, and its fundamental contributions to the theory of evolution. Our science teachers Alicia Garcia and Víctor Escarré organised the visit and accompanied them to this scientific meeting in Sabadell.

First our students participated in several interactive activities to learn how scientists do reserach, how do they create new knowledge and how do they discuss writing articles for science magazines. Then we visited the temporary exhibition “Gairebé Humans”.

Once finished this activity, the museum’s team responsible for schools, Teresa Esquirol,  accompanied us to observe the main human fossils found in Catalonia: the bones of  Pau (Pierolapithecus catalaunicus).

She explained us the uniqueness and importance of Pierolapithecus and other fossil hominid species, which makes Catalonia the place with the best fossil record of Miocene hominids (between 13 and 9 million years ago, when the origin of the family Hominidae took place). She also told us Pau was so called by catalan scientists after being discovered in the period of the Iraq War.  Next,  she  accompanied us into the preparation laboratory, where we  learnt about the stages of restoring a fossil.

Finally Teresa Esquirol introduced us to Josep Ma. Marmi, a researcher focused on the study of fossil vertebrates and plants associated to dinosaur remains. He presented us the work of a paleontologist and showed us his current research in their office. Mr. Marmi also told us about the importance of  English when working in a scientific team.

Lastly they offered us to visit the collection, placed in the basement of the museum. We discovered it consists of a highly technological one: fossils are stored with its information in ICs (integrated circuits). It was amazing to discover that the ICP hosts more than 170.000 fossil remains and is considered one of the most important collections of fossil vertebrates in Europe. It also hosts a Tipoteca, a special collection wich includes fossils that have been used to describe more than 200 new species.

The conservator woman showed us how scientific misconceptions change through the case of Myotragus (a small balearic parent of goats). We observed the historical skeleton mounted by Miquel Crusafont in the mid XXth century …

… then she told us that nowadays scientists know that Myotragus had short legs, more curved spine and the neck in a lowest position. It was a good lesson to finish the visit with conclusions about  the history of science.

Víctor Escarré

Biology and Geology ESO4

Last april , the Center for Genomic Regulation left us a kit with all the equipment and reagents necessary to carry out a practical activity based on electrophoresis for our ESO4 Biology and Geology students. Electrophoresis is a technique that allows us to separate DNA samples by size.

Our ESO4 pupils studied and applied the Agar Electrophoresis technique in the school laboratory.  They started preparing the materials and solutions needed in the protocol with coloured samples labelled as in a possible crime scenario. Next day they were asked to compare the DNA from a Crime Scene (sample labelled EC) to the DNA samples of 3 Suspects (samples labeled S1, S2 and S3).

Here you have a nice presentation with the entire protocol and conclusions, designed by Jose Manuel Bocara from our 4B class:

Pouring the solution of agar gel at 1% to prepare our electrophoresis boxes

Cutting off the gel that went over and removing the comb to create the wells

The syringe and the samples in a microplate

Loading the samples into the wells

Running the gel…

..and observing results!

CONCLUSIONS

• Electrophoresis is a technique that allows us to separate components by size.
• We realized that some of the samples had 2 components and others had 3.
• The yellow component is the smallest and/or the most negatively charged as it moves the furthest through the gel towards the positive anode.
• The blue component is the largest and/or has the least negative charge as it moves the least through the gel.
• Sample  S3 had the same components as the Crime Scene (EC) sample.

Víctor Escarré

Biology and Geology ESO4