Wildlife smuggling is one of the largest criminal enterprises in the world, worth an estimated $24 billion globally. Each year thousands of animal species are poached and trafficked by illegal operators under horrendous conditions. Squirrel gliders – small marsupials native to south-eastern Australia – are just one of the species often targeted by smugglers and sold as exotic pets in China and the USA. Effects on smuggled fauna can be devastating, resulting in their death or severe stress or injury. Smuggling also contributes to loss of biodiversity and transfer of disease.

In Australia, wildlife smuggling is investigated by the federal government and can lead to extensive fines and jail time. In this program, students will act as federal agents and determine, through biotechnology, who the smuggler is from a group of suspects.

Note:

• Max 50 students per day

How can DNA be used to solve environmental crimes?

Knowledge of DNA structure and the meaning of terms such as genes, alleles, genotypes and phenotypes is preferable.

In this program, students will:

• Become familiar with the structure and function of DNA and genetic inheritance
• Understand how genetics knowledge can be applied to solve crimes
• See how biotechnology techniques, including gel electrophoresis, can be used for DNA fingerprinting
• Understand some of the ethical considerations of emerging genetic analyses and genetic databases

Students will:

• Observe Squirrel gliders and consider their vulnerability as a smuggled animal
• Complete a blood typing analysis
• Cut DNA into fragments using restriction enzymes
• Run gel electrophoresis to separate DNA fragments by size
• Analyse gels for DNA fragments and compare suspects’ DNA to a crime scene sample

Science – Science as a Human Endeavour

• Advances in technologies have enabled advances in science, while science has contributed to developments in technologies and engineering (VC2S10H02)

Science – Science Understanding

• Genetic inheritance involves the function of DNA, chromosomes, genes and alleles, and the roles of mitosis and meiosis in passing on genetic information to the next generation; the principles of Mendelian inheritance can be used to predict ratios of genotypes and phenotypes in monohybrid crosses involving dominant and recessive traits (VC2S10U04)

The following Learning Continuum is a guide for teachers to show the links between the programs Ecolinc offers onsite, online and through outreach. The Learning Continuum can be used to access Ecolinc resources to support the development of units of work.

Ecolinc Learn Online is an online learning management system offering interactive online courses for students and teachers. These courses can be undertaken either as a pre-visit, post-visit or stand-alone. Students are encouraged to do the pre-learning course before coming to Ecolinc for the onsite program.