The Oxford University Museum of Natural History runs periodical workshops aimed at Key Stage 5 (A level) students from the state school sector. In this workshop students learn something new about themselves. The workshop gives students the chance to analyse and compare their version of a bitter taste receptor gene (their genotype) to their ability to taste PTC (their phenotype). Students learn about molecular biology techniques by using research-quality equipment and find out whether they are homozygous or heterozygous for the gene variant that confers the ability to taste this bitter compound. Researchers Daniel Wong and Giuseppe Scozzafava were helpers for the day sharing their knowledge of molecular biology with students from Poole Grammar School and from Lord Williams’ School.
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