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Building the largest model of DNA
Building the largest
model of DNA in the
world
Graeme Jones
School children and shoppers share the excitement of building a
world-record-breaking model as science is taken into the
shopping centre
At 2.17 pm on 9 March 2002 in the Potteries Shopping
Centre, Stoke-on-Trent, a new Guinness World
Record was set. Standing at 10.83 metres tall,
containing 250 base pairs and over 15 000 atoms, this
was the largest model of DNA in the world. The model
was built by a team from Keele University and
Daresbury Laboratory aided by about 3000 school
children from 90 different Stoke, Staffordshire and
Cheshire schools and a host of celebrity scientists,
including the legendary co-discoverer of the DNA
helix and Nobel prize winner Francis Crick.
This article gives an account of the thinking behind
and the legacy of ‘DNA-DAY’.
The idea
DNA-DAY grew out of a project called Make it
molecular. Its aim was simple: to get people – children
in schools, members of the general public, anyone –
to make a model of a molecule. Model-making is
ABSTRACT
This article describes the building of a worldrecord winning model of DNA in a shopping
centre, the focus of the Make it molecular
project, which aims to involve people of all ages
in ‘doing science’ by making molecular models.
The funding and practicalities of making the
model are described, together with its impact
and legacy. At the time of writing, over 3000
members of the public had made and been
photographed with their own molecular model,
learning something of the excitement of
engaging with science.
enjoyed by people of all ages. We reasoned that, given
the opportunity, people would be intrigued to make
models of molecules, to investigate their 3D shape
and the atoms of which they are made. The big
question was: would they like to do it enough to take
time out of their shopping?
It was envisaged from the start that Make it
molecular would be taken into shopping centres and
it seemed like a good idea that such an event should
have a focus. What we were looking for was a
molecule that everybody had heard of and would look
dramatic. With the 50th anniversary of the discovery
of its structure approaching (2003), step forward the
‘icon molecule’ of the moment – DNA – and thus
DNA-DAY was born.
Finding the money
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research
Council (EPSRC) is one of the eight Research
Councils (www.researchcouncils.ac.uk) that fund
research within the UK. All the research councils fund
programmes that aim to disseminate information
about the work they fund to a public audience. In the
case of EPSRC this is called the Partnership for Public
Awareness (PPA) programme. It was to this programme that we sent off an application and, after peer
review (which gave us the phrase ‘icon molecule’)
and scrutiny by a panel of experts, the project was
funded. So with the money in hand all we had to do
was to build the DNA model.
The idea was that we would get children to make
up base pairs in schools and then we would collect
them all together and assemble them into the monster
School Science Review, March 2004, 85(312)
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Building the largest model of DNA
DNA model on DNA-DAY. Following the advice of
the Staffordshire LEA science team we decided that
this model-building activity should be adaptable for
children aged between 9 and 13 so that the primary–
secondary boundary was crossed. Initially the idea
was that we would prepare model kits to send off to
schools, but we quickly realised that this was not going
to be that simple and that we would need to train
people to take the kits into schools. We hadn’t
budgeted for this, but fortunately managed to persuade
the Science Year team that this would be a good
flagship event for them; they agreed to fund the
‘molecular mechanics’ as they became known, a
devoted band of 20 PGCE and PhD students from
Keele.
Figure 1
The 10.83 m tall
DNA model provides
an awe-inspiring sight for
passing shoppers.
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School Science Review, March 2004, 85(312)
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Making the base pairs
From the start of the project we decided to use
Molymod® (Spiring Enterprises) models. The criteria
for choice were look (most important), size (needed
to be visible), ease of construction and, of course, cost.
Molymod® met all our criteria and over the year we
built up an excellent working relationship with the
Spiring family.
Fortunately they already had a DNA model system
worked out; all we had to do was to put together a set
of instructions which young children could easily
follow. This was not trivial. Take the instructions for
guanine. The model contains carbon (black), nitrogen
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(blue), oxygen (red) and hydrogen (white). There are
two different types of carbon, a 3-hole and a 5-hole,
three different types of nitrogen, a 2-hole, a 3-hole
and a 3-hole with a tight angle that allows it to fit into
the 5-membered ring, and two different types of
hydrogen. If they are not put in the right place and in
the correct orientation then the model no more
resembles guanine than it does a bag of sweets. But
by careful separation of the atoms into bags by the
project assistant Suzy Cork, positioning of locator
sticks and the provision of step-by-step instructions
we were able to guide all the children through making
the model of their DNA component.
The sessions that the molecular mechanics ran in
schools were simple and lasted about one hour. They
started with an introduction to DNA and atoms called
‘Discovering DNA the Watson and Crick way’. The
children then made the models, either a sugar and
phosphate or one of the bases, guanine, cytosine,
thymine or adenine. Then at the end, without
instructions, they put the sugars and phosphates on
the bases and matched up the base pairs, G with C
and A with T. The great thing was that you could tell
the children that this was exactly what Watson and
Crick had done, matched up the bases to make base
pairs. The sessions ended on the high note that if they
wanted to see how the base pairs joined together then
they should come along on DNA-DAY and see the
Guinness World Record DNA model being built.
Behind the scenes
By far the biggest headache was the engineering. Step
forward John Flaherty from Daresbury Laboratory.
John was the ‘Viagra’ in the project: he worked out
how the 10 metre plus model would stand up and,
more importantly, stay up. Together with Dave
Robinson he also designed a system that allowed the
model to be built on a wire that was slowly winched
up. God bless engineers!
So the big day drew nearer and nearer. We trained
up a group of six PhD students to become DNA
builders to assemble the model. We arranged for the
whole shopping centre to be transformed into a science
exploratorium with exhibits ranging from illusionary
mirrors to DNA extraction and, not least, modelmaking with Make it molecular.
All the models built in schools were numbered
into the sequence of the first 250 base pairs of
chromosome 1 of the human genome – well you have
to start somewhere. One week to go – time to panic.
Building the largest model of DNA
The big day
Most people seemed to think that it was a given that
the molecule could be built – we knew better. Up until
the day we had never made a molecule that was more
than 1.5 metres tall, and that had taken the good part
of an afternoon. We started to practise our excuses.
The day had its hairy moments. It didn’t get off to a
good start because the film crew decided that it would
be a good idea to go for a long breakfast and the
scariest moment came when we realised we had 2 m
of model left and only 1.5 m of wire to fit it on! But it
all came good in the end.
The shopping centre was buzzing: people had
heard the radio adverts (a kind donation from the
North Staffs Royal Society of Chemistry Section) and
lots of children came to see their base pair put on the
model.
The completed model looked awesome. There it
stood, this string of molecular complexity, framed by
two full length DNA-DAY banners. It was so tall it
was difficult to photograph! A Guinness World
Record. People were just awestruck. Children asked
their parents what it was, what it did, how it did it. If
you went up in the centre’s glass elevator you could
look at it all the way from the bottom to the top –
magic.
Now just step back and think about that. You’re
out shopping in town on a Saturday and your child is
asking you scientific questions; maybe there is something really important here. This is not science in a
laboratory or a school, in a science centre or museum;
this is science out there in a shopping centre being
part of mainstream culture, standing up and saying
‘look at this – it’s amazing’. Scientists are explaining
what is happening, helping people, chatting away,
laughing and looking pretty normal – good role
models?
The results of the evaluation questionnaire were
very positive. Overwhelmingly people in the shopping
centre thought that the event was good fun, good for
children, good for Stoke and, most importantly, good
for science. The evaluation of the visits to schools to
build the models was equally positive. Of the children
surveyed (a majority of whom were in year 6), 90 per
cent said that they enjoyed making models of molecules and 40 per cent said that they wanted to become
scientists when they grew up. OK, we know 40 per
cent won’t become scientists, but at least we have
planted the idea in their heads. Most importantly, 95
per cent of the teachers rated the activity as excellent.
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Building the largest model of DNA
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Figure 2 Members of the public enjoyed making molecular models – with a photo to take home as a record
of their achievement.
A word of warning
You don’t come from Stoke-on-Trent, so by now you
must be wondering why you didn’t hear of this. Well
it’s simple, we built the DNA model on a Saturday
and the only thing that ever gets reported on TV on a
Saturday is football. Please don’t make our mistake.
The legacy
So what happened to the DNA model? Well the
original model went out one more time to the BBC
Tomorrow’s World roadshow in Earls Court in July
2002 and a further 50 base pairs were added so the
largest model in the world now contains 300 base pairs
– beat that. Since then it has been packed up in boxes
in the School of Chemistry and Physics at Keele, all
neatly numbered. In 2003, for the DNA50
celebrations, it took a trip down to the Grafton
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Shopping Centre in Cambridge at the invitation of
the Sanger Centre. On the international scene the
British Council sponsored a project which built 2.5
metre high DNA models in nine countries across the
world from Singapore to Bulgaria, Croatia to China.
However, the most important legacy of the project
has been Make it molecular. Since DNA-DAY over
3000 people have made a model of a molecule and
had their picture taken with it. People of all ages and
abilities get a great sense of achievement at
completing a model – and a photo to take home to
stick on the fridge. For the under-5s just counting out
the different atoms and bonds is a challenge in itself.
With those aged 6 to 106 our aim is that by the time
they have made the model they will have stopped
saying red ball, black ball, stick, etc. and started using
scientific terms such as oxygen atom, carbon atom
and bond. We reinforce this by saying things like ‘you
sound like a real chemist’, which people seem quite
genuinely pleased to hear. Building the model also
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gives people the confidence to ask further questions
about chemicals and chemistry and the excitement of
having made the model gives people the patience to
listen to the scientist.
There are many tales to tell from Make it
molecular but this has to be the best. A lad of about
10 turned up with his mum and asked to make a model
of a molecule. I was stood in front of him flicking
through the instruction cards.
Would you like to make vitamin C?
Lad: No.
Or how about citric acid that is found in fizzy
drinks?
Lad: No.
Or how about Prozac?
At which stage mum butts in:
Go on luv make your mum some Prozac.
Now if you think about that, Mum now understands
that it is a chemical molecule in the little Prozac pills
which make people happy. She can see the structure
of the molecule and her child can build a model of
Building the largest model of DNA
the molecule, and maybe in a few years he could
become a chemist and make the real molecule.
So if you have a box of molecular models in the
back of the cupboard, dig them out and get the children
to choose and make a molecule. Don’t be scared, with
30 seconds’ explanation anybody can follow simple
molecular drawings.
What next?
We have plans for a ‘molecular mardi-gras’ with a
Mr and Miss Molecular, crowned with calixarenes
and adorned with molecules, with people dancing
along to the rhythm of molecular vibrations. We also
have our eyes on a number of other world records but
they are hush-hush. Watch this space.
If DNA-DAY proves anything it is that if you take
science out to the public they love it. Make it fun,
make it exciting, make it molecular; whatever, we
have a duty as scientists to do what I call ‘public
science’. If we engage with the public then they will
engage with us and a new vibrant science culture will
emerge.
Acknowledgements
Funding and support was provided by Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Partnership for
Public Awareness Award GR/N67527/01, Science Year, Spiring Enterprises, the North Staffordshire Section
of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Potteries Shopping Centre, CCLRC Daresbury Laboratory and Keele
University. Thanks also to the hundreds of scientists from Keele University and Daresbury Laboratory who
made the project possible.
Graeme Jones, the DNA-DAY project leader, lectures in the School of Chemistry and Physics, Lennard-Jones
Laboratories, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG. E-mail: [email protected]
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