“Genes, fat cells and life’s codes”: Educational material about Susanne Mandrup’s research
Susanne Mandrup’s research on the regulation of gene expression in fat cells has been featured in educational material for elementary school. Here she explains how DNA contains the instruction to all life and how this instruction is read in different cells.
The material is produced by the Ministry of Children and Education (Børne- og Undervisningsministeriet) as part of the Strategy of Natural Sciences (“Naturvidenskabsstrategien”). Ten different Danish researchers in different fields of natural sciences have been invited to contribute. The goal is to inspire and motivate Danish school kids to be interested in natural science.
Susanne Mandrup has contributed to this material with basic insights into DNA, genes, and cells, and with specific insight into her own research on function and regulation of fat cells and the regulation of genes in these cells. The material contains an introductory magazine as well as six inspirational catalogues targeted at different grades in elementary school. The catalogues contain background materials as well as ideas for how to introduce the pupils to cells, DNA, genes, the role of fat cells in health and lifestyle diseases.
“It has been labor intensive but fun to be part of making the material”, says Susanne Mandrup, and she is happy with the result. The hope is that the material can increase the interest in molecular biology and facilitate discussions about important topics such as overweight, virus infections, evolution, and gene technology. She also hopes to share the fascination about life and the molecular building blocks of life. Studying these building blocks of life is “like gazing upon a starry sky.” she says.
Read more about the themepackages here.
About Susanne Mandrup
Susanne Mandrup has been a part of DIAS since 2016 as Chair of Science. She is Professor at Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Director of the Center of Excellence in Functional Genomics and Tissue Plasticity (ATLAS) and Center for Adipocyte Signaling (ADIPOSIGN), as well as Head of the Functional Genomics & Metabolism Research Unit. Her laboratory has made major contributions to the understanding of the genome-wide mechanisms regulating gene expression during fat cell development. She is an elected member of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, Academia Europaea, AcademiaNet, and the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) and Knight of the Order of Dannebrog.
Click here for more information about Susanne Mandrup