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Jumping Genes
CTC is collaborating with Susan R. McCouch (Cornell, Plant Breeding), William Winn (University of Washington, HIT Lab and College of Education), and Andy Phelps (RIT, IT Lab) in development of a virtual archipelago of information islands that provide the scaffolding for learning about transposable elements or "jumping genes." Each island in the archipelago features a different aspect of the story from Barbara McClintock' s initial discovery of this phenomenon and her experience as a woman in science to understanding the mechanisms of gene insertion and the implications of applying this new scientific knowledge to making decisions about bioengineering of crops. This project is funded by NSF Grant #0107416 Jumping Genes Exploring the Use of Virtual Worlds for Online Science Exhibits.
Users can explore the world on their own or decide to enroll in Bioengineering Boot Camp, and be scored as they engage in the associated game environment. Each space incorporates trivia games and interactive content.
Clean Room: Upon entering the world, visitors are given an introduction and screened for any foreign alife before entering the secure environment. This is where they can be invited to enroll in Boot Camp start their basic training.
The Observation Tower provides an overlook and navigation links to the various content areas. In the event of an emergency, visitors proceed to the helipad for evacuation.
The Helipad is used for transport or evacuation to the Forum. Users click on the helicopter and are teleported up into the clouds where they can continue their exploration. Chat again with Gregor Mendel and learn about recent issues in the bioengineering of crops.
The Tree of Life presents the basics of molecular genetics from the building blocks of DNA to coding mechanisms for specific amino acids. It introduces the key concept that nucleotides code in three letter sequences or codons.
Barbara McClintock's Garden houses a group of historic characters each with a different take on jumping genes. These including Barbara herself and Gregor Mendel, as well as a farmer confused by all the hoopla over Indian corn and a mutant caterpillar recently evolved in response to bioengineered cotton.
The Gene Machine sits in the dungeon of the ruins of the home of the late Dr. Vonderheide, a scientist driven mad in the 1950s by the implications of his discovery. Vonderheide built a machine that will insert new strings into a genetic sequend, thus altering its function. Here visitors can try the machine for themselves and insert a new nucleotide sequence to achieve a specific chain of amino acids. Codons hold the key!
In the Mutation Plantation visitors can see for themselves a demonstration of how changes in the physical environment can affect evolution. In this greenhouse-like setting, new generations of artificial beings bubble up out of the gene pool. Mutation rates increase in response to hotter, damper conditions and a wider variety of beings emerge from the broth.
The Forum is a space for review, discussion and guided reflection. During timed sessions, guests are escorted here from the helipad for debriefing.
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