STEAM Club for High School Students from the South Moravian Region

 

Ticks transmit unexpected pathogens

Instructor: Associate Professor RNDr. Alena Žákovská, Ph.D.

Location: Institute of Experimental Biology, Department of Physiology and Immunology of Animals, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Building D36, Brno

Time: Instructional meeting will take place on July 12, 2024, at 14:00 at the Anthropos Pavilion in Brno. Info here

Laboratory meeting dates will be specified in September 2024.

Meeting schedule here

Do you want to help uncover locations of infectious microorganisms? Join us in mapping the activity and positivity of ticks for the presence of the pathogenic bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, which causes Lyme disease.

In designated locations, we will be "flagging" ticks, monitoring meteorological parameters (temperature, humidity), and then identifying pathogenic microorganisms in the ticks in the laboratory using molecular biology methods (PCR).

The results will be entered into a map accessible to the general public. Team meetings will share experiences and results from the individual activities.

The program includes:

• Tour of the Institute of Experimental Biology at the Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, and other facilities,
• Collecting ticks in a selected location,
• 20 hours of theory and laboratory DNA research from ticks,
• A mini-course on presentation skills,
• A final STEAM Slam – presentations of work and meetings with SOČ winners, researchers, Ph.D. students,
• A certificate of completion – which can be added to the student ePortfolio at https://www.startid.cz/,
• The possibility of continuing with work in SOČ.