February 2021 - Hands on Genetics
The goal of this course is to allow students to apply their knowledge to real life problems, and thus facilitate a deeper understanding of biological concepts. Often, Form Five can be a challenging period for students in Tanzania as the workload is dense and theory based. This course offers students a respite from this, while also allowing them to nurture their passion for science in a creative and interesting way. As Gabriel, an aspiring doctor said, “we are learning to expand our minds and to think about how things we have learnt in class relate to the world around us.”
The course has been split into three different labs. In the first lab, students use DNA to solve a crime mystery. Not all students were aware that DNA can be used to analyse crime scenes and this part of the course was one of the highlights for Margreth who said, “I never knew crimes could be solved using DNA. Now, through using PCR and gel electrophoresis, I know how to find evidence at a crime scene!”
The second lab focused on identifying the mutation for sickle cell disease which was especially inspiring for the many Tumaini students who aim to become doctors in the future. Form Five student, Dionice, discussed how this had changed his understanding of diseases, “I am learning all these things that I just had never learnt before like how doctors and scientists are using DNA to solve health problems like sickle cell anemia and even cancer.” Ilhan, an aspiring Aerospace Engineer, echoes this sentiment saying, “I’ve most enjoyed using gel electrophoresis to identify genetic disorders. It’s amazing to see the DNA actually move.”
This weekend, students went on a field trip to a nearby town, Mto wa Mbu, in order to complete their final lab where students analysed different species through DNA. In Mto wa Mbu, the Form Fives went to three different environments; a swamp, a slightly damp area and a dry area to look for organisms they were interested in identifying. These samples were collected, photographed and measured; with a first attempt at identification made using a taxonomy book as a reference. This upcoming week students will isolate the DNA before analysing and seeing how close their initial species guesses were. We are excited to see how they do!
This type of course is extremely rare in Tanzania, and we are thrilled Tumaini Senior has been able to incorporate it into the curriculum. Students have been deeply engaged, inspired and motivated in this program and are truly delighted by the idea of continuing this type of study in the future. We are so excited to see where this takes our Form Fives and Tanzania’s future scientists!