News

In November 2024, the first workshop at the Vienna Open Lab for the students of the HTL for Food Technology in Hollabrunn has taken place. The topic was the search for genetically engineered food. First a brief introduction to the general topic of genes and gene technology was given. The students then had the task of searching for genetically engineered BT-corn resistant to “Roundup Ready” herbicides. Samples ranging from cookies to animal feed were tested. The students had to isolate DNA from the samples, amplify the potentially muted gene via polymerase chain reaction and visualize the DNA fragments via gel electrophoresis. Some of the groups have detected the genetically engineered corn in the samples in the end. The students learned various new methods and had the possibility to apply knowledge already learned in other settings.

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Using the Power of Plants - that is the motto of our new project, Flower-Power, which aims to investigate the use of plants in skin scarring. In this project, various groups of citizen scientists, including school students, will be involved. Researchers, led by Michael Mildner from the Department of Dermatology at MedUni Vienna, are focusing on children and teenagers collecting plants and creating plant extracts.

School Workshops
In October 2024, introductory workshops for students were held at the project’s three partner schools: VS Campus Gertrude Fröhlich-Sandner and MS Staudingergasse in Vienna, as well as the Private HTL for Food Technology in Hollabrunn. Project leader Michael Mildner presented the project and the planned activities. He introduced the young citizen scientists to the basics of skin science and provided insights into his research. At all the schools, the young people impressed the Flower-Power team with their prior knowledge about skin and engaged in lively discussions with the scientist