NATIONAL MUSEUM OF HEALTH AND MEDICINE EXTENDS LOAN OF ARTIFACTS TO DOLAN DNA LEARNING CENTER
IN NEW YORK
  

An X-ray hot cathode tube manufactured by Philips Metalix in 1930 in the Netherlands.

The National Museum of Health and Medicine has extended its loan of two microscopes, an X-ray tube, and a blood pipette to the Dolan DNA Learning Center in Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. The artifacts were borrowed from the museum's more than 12,000 historical medical objects.

The artifacts will be on display at the center in a 2,000-sq-ft. exhibit entitled "The Genes We Share." Admission is free and open to the public 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. The exhibition is closed Sundays.

The learning center is the world's first science center devoted to public genetics education and is an operating unit of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, a center for molecular genetics research. For information, call (516) 367-5170. The exhibit provides visitors an opportunity to explore key milestones and personalities involved in the discovery of the structure of DNA.

As many publications currently exist on this topic, both print and electronic, the exhibit does not attempt to cover all of the milestones in great detail. Instead, it will become more of a "cabinet of curiosity," using a mix of objects and images to highlight moments of inspiration, glory, and misdirection on the path to understanding the genetic code. Dr. Adrianne Noe, museum director, serves with other leading scholars as a member of the exhibit's scientific advisory panel.

A microscope manufactured in 1891 by Carl Zeiss in Germany

The central showpiece of the exhibit is an 8-ft. tall adaptation of the metal DNA model made by James Watson, Ph.D. and Francis Crick, Ph.D. who first identified the structure of the DNA double helix in 1953 and won the Nobel Prize for their discovery in 1962. It complements artifacts and archival documents that offer insight into the scientists' inspiration. An on-line timeline features images of the researchers at the time of their research - projecting a youthful, vital view of scientific endeavor. Interviews with prominent researchers, together with animations that explain the important experiments, involved in this story, will be also be available.

The objects on loan from the NMHM for the exhibit are:

• a microscope manufactured in 1891 by Carl Zeiss in Germany
• a horseshoe base, continental style microscope
• a blood gas analysis pipette manufactured by Eimer and Amend before 1974
• an X-ray hot cathode tube manufactured by Philips Metalix in 1930 in the Netherlands

The Learning Center has helped popularize several methods for delivering laboratory instruction in genetics to large numbers of pre-college students and teachers, including: equipment-sharing consortia, the use of mobile vans to carry instructional labs to remote sites, and laboratory field trips. Its “primary goal is educational programs, but every now and then, [it] develops exhibits for the school groups that visit the center,” said Sue Lauter, creative director. Its staff has developed laboratory teaching curricula at the elementary, middle school, high school, and college levels. Each year, more than 11,000 students and teachers from more than 150 schools visit the center to perform gene-related experiments. For information, call (516) 367-5170 or visit the web site at www.dnalc.org.