Visit to the Kleisti Science Centre

We offer the following activities for the visit:

Activity	Duration	Description
Introductory lecture on the NIRI Kleisti Science Centre	30 min	Introductory lecture on the NIRI Kleisti Science Centre, its research areas, how research is conducted, what is being studied, and why such research is important.
Visiting the Genome Centre	20 min	Participants are introduced to the facilities of the Genome Centre and learn about the State Population Genome Database, sample storage and processing, laboratory equipment, and research opportunities.
Visiting the Cell Block	25 min	A tour of the facilities and laboratories of the Cell Culture and Microscopy Centre within the NIRI Biomedical Technology Complex.
Learning history of the Science Centre	20 min	Presentation of historical scientific equipment and laboratory facilities. In the historical laboratory facilities, participants learn how laboratory work was conducted in the past and what instruments were used.
Protein Crystal growing (with lecture)	30 min	Participants learn about the structure of protein molecules and the methods used to determine their structure. They discover why protein structure determination is important, how the resulting data are used, and the techniques involved. During a short laboratory session, they perform one of the steps in protein structure determination by crystallising the protein lysozyme.
Bacterial Culturing on Agar Plates	20 min	During this activity, students have the opportunity to culture bacteria from any object or item of their choice.
Agarose Gel Electrophoresis	90 min	A short lecture followed by a practical laboratory session involving agarose gel electrophoresis and analysis of results using a UV transilluminator. The activity is analogous to the “DNA fingerprinting” method covered in school biology courses.
Lecture on the Genetic Research of Ancient Inhabitants of the Territory of Latvia Using Archaeological Bone Material	20 min	A lecture on the study of genetic material obtained from ancient organisms, both globally and in Latvia, with a primary focus on research into human history. The lecture presents, in a popular science format, the most significant and recent developments in the field of ancient DNA research and explains how the ancient inhabitants of present-day Latvia fit into the broader context of Eurasian population genetic history.
Lecture on Biobanks and Omics Data	20–30 min	An introductory lecture on the operation of biobanks in Latvia, including current research and findings in various omics fields (suitable for secondary school students).
Discussions on Bacteriophages (Bacterial Viruses) and a Practical Workshop	40–60 min	Discussions on bacteriophages supported by videos and posters; Modelling of the infection cycle; Educational brochures with quiz questions; Practical laboratory work, including plaque purification, learning the double-layer agar method, cultivation and infection of pure bacterial cultures, subculturing of pure cultures, or extraction of bacterial DNA.