Soapbox Science

Soapbox Science is a public event in which experts stand on soap boxes and share knowledge about a subject they are passionate about. While visiting at the University of Edinburgh, Professor Lynne Regan took to a soap box to share her passion for proteins. She used a silk scarf to exemplify some of the physical properties of proteins we are all familiar with. During another part of her demonstration, she stacked lego blocks to show how a point mutation in a vital protein can inhibit a protein-protein interaction, leading to a dramatic physical phenotype.

Starting in 2015, lab members have engaged with young students as part of their summer science camp. We have prepared and presented hands-on activities to demonstrate a variety of science topics, including chromatography, light,and protein hydrogels. At right, Curran is demonstrating the principle of diffusion using iodine and starch solutions. The iodine diffuses into the starch solution across a semipermeable membrane, while the starch molecules are too large to diffuse across the membrane. The interaction of starch with iodine is indicated by a color change.