DNA at the breakfast table

A conventional coffee filter is stuck on the plastic funnel. "This is how we can filter the banana," says Dr. Sandra Färber. Aha. And the washing-up liquid? That's the first thing you mix with the banana to emulsify the fat. Sandra Färber is the laboratory manager of the "Green Laboratory" for schoolchildren in Gatersleben (Saxony-Anhalt). She patiently explains the individual steps involved in extracting the DNA from a banana. You don't need much more than a few household remedies to do this, she reveals. "DNA at the breakfast table" is the name of the project that Färber is supervising as part of the i.m.a. Wissenshof.

Science at the ErlebnisBauernhof

The Knowledge Farm in Hall 3.2 is a traditional part of the "ErlebnisBauernhof" joint show of German agriculture. Here, visitors can try out and participate. Getting to know agriculture is the focus of the action program.

The fact that the leaves of a copper beech contain not only red but also green color can be discovered by thin-film chromotography. This complicated term refers to the separation of leaf pigments and becomes child's play under Ms. Färber's guidance.

Those who want to play even more can identify vegetables at the SensiBar, by smell, by sense of touch or on the basis of questions about origin, cultivation and harvest time. In the egg test, visitors can find out how to tell the difference between fresh and spoiled hen's eggs, and there is also a small racetrack for test drives with pedal-powered tractors.

Knowledge to take home

i.m.a e.V. is bringing together the offerings of seven partners at the Knowledge Farm. The result is a course of twelve knowledge stations that teach how bread is baked or sausage is produced, what is in compost, or how important eh-da areas and legumes are for a functioning natural balance. At each station, participants can collect stickers for which they receive a prize at the end of the course.

During school hours, the i.m.a knowledge farm offers organized experiences especially for school classes, but adults can also learn a lot here. "Anyone who wants to may try out anything, young or old," says Sandra Färber.

Visitors will find the i.m.a Wissenshof in Hall 3.2.