Fourth Overall Session: April 4th, 2016

Working hard preparing the presentation of results

Third Overall Session: March 2nd, 2016

Although we were not allowed to visit the Parque de las Ciencias for this session day, we worked very hard in the laboratory. Besides, we enjoyed a lot (see in our picture how happy we were).

We concentrated all our effort to carry out two electrophoreses in polyacrylamide gels (PAGE):

- SDS-PAGE (polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate; denaturing conditions): proteins from pomegranate samples were separated according to their size in 12% acrylamide gels and, after electrophoresis, gels were stained both with Coomassie Blue, and then with silver nitrate. See how beautiful look our gel.

- Native PAGE (polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under non-denaturing conditions): proteins were separated according to their size and charge in 10% acrylamide gels. After electrophoresis, gels were stained for superoxide dismutase (SOD, EC 1.15.1.1) activity. As we can see in the following picture, some samples contained up to four activity bands, whereas some others had up to six. This is the first time that SOD activity is detected in pomegranate. We have been lucky: our results are pioneer.

Now, we are ready to prepare our reporting work, either as a poster  for the PIIISA congress, or to be presented as an oral presentation. We have to figure out how to continue this project and have to discuss thoroughly about our results.

Cancellation of the visit to the Parque de las Ciencias, Granada

Unfortunately, the session at the Parque de las Ciencias will not be run. In few words, this activity has been negatively recommended by the Commission which regulates the development of the PIIISA Program in Granada. I'm sad to hear this, but must obey the Commission.

It brings us to concentrate all the activity we have to do to fulfill our project in the two remaining sessions. May the power be with us. But let's be optimistic and run an electrophoresis on wednesday, next week

Parque de las Ciencias de Granada

On January 26th, a collaborative program between Parque de las Ciencias of Granada and our team was issued. Thus, the next full session (March 2nd) will be held at the Parque premises, where we will discuss about our project. Then, we will have the opportunity to disseminate our PIIISA experience (PIIISA-Granada; PIIISA - Andalucía) to visitors of the Parque. Finally, we will have the chance to visit the permanent and the itinerant exhibitions of the Parque. We are greatly greatful to the Parque de las Ciencias authorities.

Second session in PIIISA

Our team (we missed Fátima)

Working hard...

...then, harder

Welcome!

Welcome to our blog. This platform will drive you to the research proposed by High School students, who have designed their own project to be performed at the Estación Experimental del Zaidín (CSIC, Granada) premises. The research, framed within the group of "Antioxidants, Free Radicals and Nitric Oxide in Biotechnology, Food and Agriculture", will be focused on the analysis of the antioxidative enzymes in different parts of pomegranate (Punica granatum, L.). The assays will be achieved by several students of High Schools from Granada city and the province villages Benamaurel, Albolote and Santa Fe. The programmed sessions will be run throughout the academic course 2015-16. Some of them have been developed last months and the first results were already obtained.

José Manuel Palma Martínez
Estación Experimental del Zaidín. CSIC.
Granada