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All substances are poisons; there is none which is not a poison. The right dose differentiates a poison from a remedy.
16th Century Physician Paracelsus
All substances are poisons; there is none which is not a poison. The right dose differentiates a poison from a remedy.
With harmful substances being released into our environment daily, students will be able to monitor waters for increased levels of toxicity or mutagenicity by using either the Muta-LabTM or Toxi-LabTMhigh school biotechnology kits. The Coli-LabTM allows high school students to monitor lakes, rivers or ponds for levels of E.coli and Coliforms ensuring for both safe drinking and recreational bodies of water.
Using either the Muta-LabTM, Toxi-LabTM, or Geno-LabTM high school biotechnology kits, students will learn the effects of chemicals on organisms or into the environment. Chemical compounds are exposed to various strains of E.coli and results can be read visually, allowing students to understand both experimental design as well as experimental observations.
Using the Sedi-LabTM high school biotechnology kit, students will learn how to detect toxicity levels in soil including the study of the presence of xenobiotic (human-made) chemicals or other alteration in the natural soil environments.
We offer the option of simulating a test for either mutagenicity (Muta-LabTM Synthetic) or toxicity (Toxi-LabTM Synthetic). The high school simultaiton tests allow students to understand concepts of toxicity and mutagenicity without the use of bacteria in the classroom.
Students in their groups will acquire samples for their lab experiment. This section is optional. If the teacher provides samples, then this section does NOT have to be done.
Students in their groups will use one of the high school biotechnology kits to complete a lab study as well as analysis of the samples taken or provided by the teacher.
Students will complete a brief survey about environmental toxicology and discuss the results in class.
Students will discuss the meaning of the quote from the father of Toxicology, the physician Paracelsus.
Students will work in groups to debate about which testing method is the best to use.