Workshops

Holiday workshops: Bacterial Evolution (ages 15–18)

Step into the role of a clinical bacteriologist and use research-grade laboratory equipment to investigate DNA samples from new outbreaks of bacterial disease.

Image credit: URENCO

Participants use restriction enzyme digests and gel electrophoresis to analyse and learn about DNA, restriction enzymes and evolution. At the end of the workshop participants look at the DNA evidence and decide what medical advice they would give to the patients of the outbreak.
This workshop takes place in the Urenco Young Scientist Centre’s teaching laboratory, offering participants a unique opportunity to experience working in a real lab environment. For safety reasons, all participants must wear closed-toe shoes, and anyone with long hair is required to tie it back.


Warning: this workshop contains discussion of a fictional disease outbreak and some graphical medical images.

This workshop is strictly for ages 15–18 only. We reserve the right to refund or deny entry to those who are not in this age range.

This workshop will include a 30 minute unsupervised lunch break. Students should bring their own lunch and a drink.

Refunds can only be issued for tickets cancelled at least two weeks (14 calendar days) in advance of the event date. Please note that this supersedes our normal event terms and conditions. Please also note that Eventbrite adds a small booking fee to the amount paid for each ticket option.

About the Urenco Young Scientist Centre

The Urenco Young Scientist Centre (UYSC) is an imaginative science laboratory at the heart of the Ri, where young people aged 7–18 can experiment and explore science and technology outside the classroom. In a YSC workshop, students become a scientist for the day, testing their own ideas by designing creative experiments. The whole experience ignites a passion for scientific discovery and encourages curiosity-driven learning.

Students are given the time and space to experiment. Not constrained by time to produce a ‘right’ result, students work as professional research scientists do: in response to their observations, encouraging curiosity-driven learning. And just as in the best research laboratories, students have access to advanced technology and experiments outside the remit of the normal school curriculum, making this an experience to remember.

For any queries regarding this workshop please get in touch by phone 020 7409 2992 or email events@ri.ac.uk.

Event terms and conditions