The goal of the Mobile Bioclass is to introduce life sciences for schoolchildren and to increase their interest in biotechnology and related disciplines.
The project popularizes science by introducing contemporary methods of DNA analysis to students giving them the opportunity to work with modern lab equipment and to raise awareness in the fields of molecular biology and gene technology.
During this project the mobile lab will travel across Estonia and visit different schools.
The target group for the Mobile Bioclass are students from grades 10-12.
In Estonia the project started in 2014 and has travelled more than 60 000 kilometers.
The Mobile Bioclass is Tartu University's joint project with biotechnology company Thermo Fisher Scientific Baltics. In 2011 the first mobile class started in Lithuania, the project later expanded to other Baltic States and is by today active in Lithuania and Estonia.
Several people throughout the years have coordinated the project.
Main Coordinator - Professor Ants Kurg
Coordinators:
Maarja Runtal
Marcella Laura Polverino
Katariina Kordemets
Andres Reintam
Jana Aid
Lee Vaalma
Robin Pau
Margret Alttoa
Nils Joonas Kristian Saar
Anett-Hildegard Laarmann
Indrek Etverk
Karl Annusver
Laboratory specialists:
Merle Külaots
Kati Hensen
The financies and support to the project has come from different organisations:
Thermo Fisher Scientific Baltics
University of Tartu
Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu
Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tartu
Bioscience Students' Association
Gambling Tax Council
Estonian Research Agency
Archimedes Foundation
DNA precipitation in Terevisioon studio (in Estonian, starting from 1:27:48), 22.05.2024;
Bioclass celebrated its 10th anniversary;
November 2022 number 5 Universitas Tartuensis (longer web article, in Estonian);
June 2022 number 3 Universitas Tartuensis (page 42, start of the article, in Estonian).
In 2017 the Mobile bioclass was awarded with the Estonian science popularization main prize in the series of activities that promote science and technology. The project has the right to use the logo of "Nationally Recognized Science Popularizer".