Staff from The James Hutton Institute and SCAnDi put together the pieces of forensic education at Edinburgh Science Festival
The James Hutton Institute was delighted to support Edinburgh Science Festival as a funding partner this year, with staff running two extremely well attended and successful events.
Professor Lorna Dawson, Head of the Centre for Forensic Soil Science at the Hutton, hosted both a hands-on workshop for children and an interactive evening lecture alongside colleagues from the single-cell and single molecule analysis for DNA identification (SCAnDi) project.
The project, which is being carried out by the Hutton in partnership with the Earlham Institute, the University of Edinburgh, the University of Portsmouth, the University of Derby, Liverpool John Moores University and Edge Hill University, examines whether new techniques in the single-cell analysis field could add valuable new DNA evidence to investigations when used by forensic investigators.
The two forensic education events focused on the techniques and methods used when gathering forensic evidence. In the children’s workshop, Solving a Crime, Brick by Brick, attendees were tasked with investigating a Lego crime scene and gathering evidence. Professor Dawson was joined by Dr Katherine Brown from the University of Portsmouth, Dr Georgios Zouganelis from the University of Derby and Dr Nick Dawnay from Liverpool John Moores University as they talked the ‘recruits’ through the crime scene and helped build DNA profiles of the suspects.
The workshop gave plenty of budding investigators a chance to try their hand at evidence-gathering and it proved to be a hit with both children and adults, who loved seeing the Lego crime scene and piecing together the clues of our mystery. Eric, aged 11, attended the workshop with his mum, and said afterward: “It was really fun – I liked searching for clues. I’m a big fan of problem solving, so I enjoyed it a lot.”
“It was an honour to be invited to participate in this year’s Edinburgh Science Festival. We were delighted to see so much interest in the work that we do, and we hope that we have sparked the curiosity of a few budding scientists of the future by engaging in such an interactive way.”
Professor Lorna Dawson, The James Hutton Institute
Solving a Crime, Brick by Brick was followed by Extracting Evidence, an evening talk aimed at those aged 16 and above. Audience members were treated to a mock crime scene investigation, giving them a chance to learn about the work forensic scientists do. Topics included how forensic entomologists use insect lifecycles to establish a time of death, how soil science can help identify areas of search, how to sample at a crime scene and the methods used to extract DNA from secured evidence.
The mock investigation was followed by a Q and A session and a discussion of the SCAnDi project.
Both forensic education events were hosted by Andrew Jenkins, an events developer from Edinburgh Science.
Speaking after the festival, Professor Lorna Dawson said: “It was an honour to be invited to participate in this year’s Edinburgh Science Festival. We were delighted to see so much interest in the work that we do, and we hope that we have sparked the curiosity of a few budding scientists of the future by engaging in such an interactive way.”
Feedback at both events was extremely positive and we hope to be able to repeat them in the future.