How scientific research works

The decision for the topic of this ldquo;travail de candidaturerdquo; was based on the observation that many high-school students have knowledge gaps in the concepts of designing and interpreting scientific experiments. This especially affects international baccalaureate IB diploma students, who are asked to develop advanced skills for the design and evaluation of their individual investigations. The aim of this project was therefore to develop experimental courses for high-school students at the Scienteens Lab, where students are led through the whole process of a scientific experiment, from the design of the procedure to the experimental exploration and finally the analysis and interpretation of results. Students get an insight into the work of a researcher and use up-to-date laboratory techniques in hands-on experiments. The experiments designed for the use in the Scienteens Lab investigate the effect of UV radiation on Escherichia coli E. coli and the protection provided by sunscreen, using two different approaches. In the molecular biology course students determine the effect of UV radiation on the DNA of E. coli using amplification of DNA fragments by PCR followed by gel electrophoresis of the PCR products. In the microbiology course the effect of UV radiation on the growth of E. coli is determined by comparing colony numbers after UV exposure of plates protected by sunscreen and unprotected plates. Both courses were optimized in order to reduce experimental costs and increase the reliability and reproducibility of the results. Since January 2016 the designed courses are successfully performed on a regular basis at the Scienteens Lab with students from the Luxembourgish and international school systems. In order to increase the sustainability of the investigations and experiences made in the Scienteens Lab, a collection of teaching materials has been designed, which can be used as preparation and follow-up of the lab visit at school. The materials are available in English and German, so that not only international students, but also classes from the ldquo;enseignement secondaire classiquerdquo; and ldquo;techniquerdquo; can benefit from this project.