Course Descriptions

Dr. Joachim Rosenbusch, XLAB

A brief theoretical introduction is followed by the preparation of porcine organ systems by the students. The course includes: heart and circulation, respiratory system, kidney and reproductive system, and in addition studies of the human brain.

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Dr. Frederic Hessman, University Goettingen

Modern astrophysical experiments, whether searching for supernovae at the end of the visible universe, probing for Dark Matter in our galaxy by studying gravitational lenses, or searching for asteroids heading straight for the Earth are usually performed on large telescopes situated at remote and exotic sites. XLAB has direct internet access to two 1.2-meter telescopes in Texas and South Africa (as well as to a modern 50 cm telescope on campus if the weather is good) with which the summer camp students will be able to work during the morning (in Texas) and/or evenings (in South Africa or Göttingen).

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Dr. Birgit Drabent, XLAB

As an introduction in food analysis, the students will investigate the most important food ingredients (carbon hydrates, proteins, and fats). Detection methods for the different components will be tested. Some characteristic properties of the food components will be analysed.
The experiments will be carried out by a great variety of experimental methods, ranging from simple detection reaction to quantitative techniques like the extraction of fat by means of a Soxhlet apparatus.
In the next project students will isolate a food compound and will have the chance to become acquainted with modern methods in analytical chemistry. In order to resolve the structure of this food compound the following analyses will be carried out:

• C,H,N analysis to solve the elemental formula
• Determination of functional groups by specific detection reactions
• Acid base titration and mass spectroscopy to determine the molecular mass
• Oxidation by potassium permanganate and identification of the reaction products
•  NMR-spectroscopic investigation and interpretation of the 13C-spectrum

An X-Ray crystallographic analysis in order to solve the 3 dimensional structure may be carried out also.
All experiments are accompanied by short lectures on the theoretical background of the various methods and by periods for analysis and interpretation of the results.

Knowledge in Organic Chemistry is required

Dr. Birgit Drabent, XLAB

In the first part of this course students will extract caffeine from tea. The isolated substance will be identified by thin layer chromatography. The purity of the isolated caffeine will be analysed by 13CNMR spectroscopy.
Additionally, students determine the content of tannic acids in a tea extract by pH measurement.
Next, students will synthesise acetylsalicylic acid (better known as Aspirin) and analyse the product by thin layer chromatography. Subsequently the purity may be tested and compared with the industrial product by means of photometry or 1HNMRspectroscopy. The acetyl salicylic acid content of an aspirin pill will be determined by acid/base titration and mass spectroscopy. Experiments to the galenics of the pharmaceutical will also be carried out.
Finally, the antibiotic chartreusin will be isolated from a bacterial culture (Actinomyces sp. K11/18) by an extraction and subsequent distillation. The purity will be determined by HPLC analysis. The biological activity will be investigated by a plate diffusion test.

Knowledge in Organic Chemistry is required

Friederike Isselhorst-Schuh, XLAB

The development of a single fertilized egg into a highly complex organism, comprised of distinct tissues and organs, is one of the most complicated and intriguing phenomena of biology. Using the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism we have begun to understand the molecular basis of early developmental processes.
This course offers insights into the molecular mechanisms of Drosophila embryogenesis.
The students will analyze the differential expression (the activation in space and time) of developmental genes in Drosophila embryos by in situ hybridization. The analysis of gene expression by microscopic observation reveals information about active genes and their potential role for specific developmental processes. Using PCR and different cloning techniques the students will generate DNA plasmid constructs suitable for the production of labeled antisense RNA, a prerequisite for the in situ hybridization technique. Furthermore, the participants will investigate the morphogenesis of the tracheal system. The development of this respiratory organ is a model to demonstrate the cellular and molecular processes, which determine the formation of tubular systems. The students will employ the techniques of genetic marker expression and immunological staining in order to analyze the development and morphogenesis of the Drosophila tracheal system.

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Dr. Dirk Gries, Paul Mühlenhoff, XLAB

In this course students learn about the ecology of aquatic organisms and fundamentals of aquatic ecosystems (e.g. abiotic factors of the physical and chemical environment, biotic interactions, food webs, trophic relationships, element and energy fluxes), take field trips to streams and lakes, assess hydro-morphological features of streams and floodplains, survey vegetation zonation, collect and identify animals, algae, and higher plants, measure chemical and physical parameters in the field and at XLAB, and rate ecological statuses of lakes and streams by using structural, biological and physico-chemical indices.

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OStR Johann Krawczyk, XLAB

In this course you will learn how a laser works and you will get to know to different applications.
We will do experiments on an optical pumped Nd:YAG-laser kit. After collimating and focusing the optics you can verify the stability criterion of the resonator. You will measure the wavelength and the mean lifetime of upper laser level. With a KTP crystal you will demonstrate frequency doubling as a special nonlinear effect and you can demonstrate transversal electromagnetic modes.
Second a Ne-Ne-laser system has to be adjusted like the Nd:YAG laser. We will determine the divergence of the laser beam and measure the beam profile (Gaussian beam). By means of a special prism (Littrow-prism) we will try to select different wavelengths. As a special application we try to record and reconstruct holograms. We will learn about object beam and reference beam, real und virtual image. You will capture the holographic image of an object and perform yourself the development and bleaching of this reflection hologram.
A Michelson interferometer will be adjusted and investigated and in another experiment you will learn how a CD-player works by using a laser-diode.
At the Laser-Laboratorium Goettingen different applications and investigations concerning lasers can be seen and a LIDAR-experiment will be worked out.

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Dr. Carsten Nowak, University Goettingen

This course offers the opportunity to get an insight into materials physics. Hands-on experiments and the use of modern research instruments will be supplemented by theoretical sessions to provide an introduction to typical methods and questions in this field.

Materials physics investigates the relation between the structure of materials and their properties. The size of the structural entities varies by orders of magnitude, from single atoms to structures that can be seen with the naked eye. Accordingly, experiments on different size scales are performed in this course:  field-ion-microscopy allows to image single atoms, plastic deformation will be investigated on a nanometer scale, solid state diffusion will be analyzed with electron microscopy and the results of metallurgical processing become visible with optical microscopy.

Dr. Barbara Ritter, Dr. Michael Ferber, XLAB

Neurons process and conduct information using electric impulses. But how can biological cells generate a potential just like batteries? How can they conduct currents just like cables? How can neurons develop a "language" and how is this language understood by postsynaptic cells?
In this course we will focus on the processes underlying the building of a potential across the neuronal membrane (resting membrane potential), the signals a neuron can generate (post synaptic potentials, muscle potentials and action potentials) and their way to talk to each other via different types of synapses. We will also learn to understand simple neuronal circuits und have a glimpse at different ways bioelectricity can be used in nature.

In this course sensory systems of insects will be investigated. The investigations will focus on mechanoreception and some aspects of vison. As model organisms insects will be used. Starting from the observation and description of the behavior, the underlying anatomical and physiological principles are investigated with emphasis on the analysis of the underlying neuronal network. The practical work is accompanied by lectures covering basic principles of neuroscience.

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Dr. Birgit Drabent, XLAB

Organic chemistry which covers the vast number of carbon compounds including natural products is a “key player” in industrial chemistry. Here, the main focus lies on the synthesis of new biological active compounds for medicine and agriculture as well as of polymers and dyes. Knowledge in preparative techniques and analytical methods are therefore very useful. Subjects of your experimental investigations are pharmaceutical substances like Paracetamol (acetaminophen) as well as fragrances, dyes and polymers. In the course important experimental operations as distillation, crystallisation, and titrations will be performed by you. In addition to classical methods like thin layer chromatography you will become acquainted with modern analytical techniques like mass and UV/ VIS-spectrometry, gas and high performance liquid chromatography or NMR spectroscopy to characterize the substances.

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Dr. Maram Bader, XLAB

Genetic engineering of plants is promised to be one of the most important future technologies to improve food and industrial crops, but... have you heard of Golden Rice, BT-maize or the Flavr-Savr tomato? How are such transgenic plants made? To understand the principles underlying genetic engineering of plants we will focus on the basics of in vitro culture and the two most important genetic transformation methods of plants. In the first part of the course we will try to identify transgenic, herbicide resistant from non-transgenic maize plants by PCR and confirm the results by applying the herbicide BASTA in a spray test. In the second part of the course, you will have the chance to genetically modify plants yourselves. Using the gene gun, plasmid DNA encoding the green fluorescent protein will be integrated into onion cells and afterwards detected by fluorescent microscopy. Tobacco plants will be genetically transformed by Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The inserted gene encoding the enzyme β-glucoronidase can be detected by a histochemical staining assay. Furthermore, the course will include some basic experiments in molecular biology, like preparation of plasmid-DNA, restriction analysis, gel electrophoresis, isolation of genomic DNA and PCR.

Dr. Wolfgang Send, XLAB

The course covers the basic phenomena of flying in nature and of the foundations of aeronautical sciences. The key subjects are the force balance of weight and lift and of drag and thrust. The origin of lift and drag is investigated in a small windtunnel. The mechanism of propulsion in animal flight is shown by an artificial bird of almost one meter span in tethered flight, which is performed in a large test stand. The data are measured using modern data-acquisition systems and compared to the underlying physical description. The participants are challenged by their presentations, which summarize the daily subject matter. Further details see http://www.aniprop.de/ani_xlab_isc

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Prof. Dr. Patricia Virsik-Köpp, Bernd Kopka, University Goettingen
OStR Johann Krawczyk, XLAB

This course will introduce the participants into typical questions and methods of the radiation research in life science. We will study the physical and biological effects of the ionizing radiation. For example we will do physical experiments with different radiation sources and different x-rays and biological experiments to learn about the biological effects of these ionizing radiation.

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