Abstract:

This experience activity has been realized in the framework of the XXX edition of "Future Past", the first Italian manifestation of dissemination of scientific and technological culture. Born in 1987, "Future Past" focuses each year around the presentation of a peculiar monographic theme and the theme for 2016 was " to build".

In particular in the framework "comunico ergo sum" as a researcher and professor of Molecular Biology, I picked and chose a group of five students, (two male and three female) graduates in Biological Science with the will to communicate their passion for the world of science and innovation in the field of bioscience.

They made models, posters and durable educational demonstrators enriched with eye-catching images in order to communicate effectively, but also simply an issue of cutting edge and which forms the frontier of technological innovation in the field of Molecular Biology and Biosciences: the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and its modern evolution and applications.

I encouraged them and guided to choose and build models that could simply and effectively explain and show the public of all ages and especially for non-experts this technique, introduced in the mid-80s of the last century that allows the exponential in vitro enzymatic amplification of DNA sequences that has become the cornerstone of modern molecular biology worldwide.

The choice of the Polymerase Chain Reaction and its role in the research and modern diagnostics has been proposed also because in perfect line with the theme of the event because this technique allows the "construction", "in vitro" DNA synthesis. This technique has been and continues to be a source of stimulation for various technological innovations ranging from production and purification of the thermostable DNA polymerase manufacture of instrumentation (thermal cycler) always faster and more accurate, from the synthesis of the reagents needed for amplification of DNA molecules to development of software used for the treatment of data.

The partnerhip with leading companies in the industry has enriched the popular science experience possible to present some modern models of thermal cyclers who have shared the stage with really old instruments that are no longer used recovered from different laboratories of the Department of Biology of the University of Naples Federico II.

So that all visitors, children, families, adults, specialists have been able to learn from each other to communicate communicating and learning while teaching, thanks to the creative energy and expertise, models, posters and communication skills that members of the team have refined during the work.

I hope that this experience / educational project can find a minimum of financial support and collaboration with companies to make it happen on other issues, and that can also be extended to other disciplines and be presented in future editions of the event itself and/or in Europe and elsewhere (ESOF) and/or paths in higher education area. Science is communicated to all and visitors. Scientific research, in fact, is not an activity that takes place in the closed laboratories in universities or research institutes, but lives among the people, it feeds on the company's experience and individual men to think, imagine and recreate in order to face difficulties offering solutions to make life better for everyone.

Keywords:

DNA, Polymerase Chain reaction, PCR, real time PCR, DNA fingerprint, higher education, science communication, docendo discimus, By teaching we learn.