School Project Materials

The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute is devoted to understanding the basis of heart muscle disease.  This page is designed to give students of all ages information about Dr Victor Chang and his work, as well as helping students to understand the basis of the work that we do here.

About Dr Victor Chang:

The life and work of Dr Victor Chang has made an impact in Australian society in many ways. Not only was Dr Chang a humanitarian, he was also a respected scientist and surgeon.

The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute is committed to continuing the life work of Victor Chang, and providing young Australians with educational material regarding the man Victor Chang, information on the heart, and an overview of the research work the VCCRI conducts.

Download the following PDFs to learn more about:

• The Heart
  
• Interesting heart and health facts
  
• Dr Victor Chang
  
• Victor Chang Research Laboratories

 

Science Information:

The Institute has recently participated in the NSW Government Science Exposed Expo. This was aimed at providing information to High School Students about the work that we do. The following is some information that we provided on the day.

About DNA:
What is DNA? We know that it is essential for life, but what is it? It is a small chemical that 'lives' in every cell in the body. It is responsible for every characteristic that we possess, for every movement that we make, for every thought that we have and for every beat of our heart. Please download the following PDF if you would like to learn more about DNA.

• What is DNA?

Every living organisim has DNA. Would you like to see it? It is very easy to extract DNA from fruit such as Paw Paw or Kiwi Fruit. All you need is some fruit, some detergent and some rubbing alcohol. It is perfectly safe and a lot of fun! For further instructions on how to do the DNA extraction downlaod the following PDF.

• How to Extract DNA from Fruit, it's fun and simple!

Genetic Diseases:
We inherit DNA from our parents, but sometimes there is a mistake in the DNA which can cause disease. These mistakes, or mutations as Scientists call them, usually occur in 'genes'. Genes are pieces of DNA that have a particular function, such as making a muscle cell or defining the colour of your hair. Sometimes the mutations that occur in DNA are spontaneous (a Genetic Disease), other times thay have occurred in our grandparents, and have been passed onto our parents and then on to us. This is an inherited Genetic Disease.

To identify the genes involved in Genetic Disease, firstly we have to get DNA from people who have a particular disease, and then sequence different genes which we know are involved with the particular disease. Once we have the sequence of the genes, we can compare it to a control, which would be the correct sequence of the DNA. If we find a mistake in the sequence, we have found our mutation and the cause of the disease! Then we sequence the same genes in other family members to investigate who else has the mutation and therefore the potential for the same disease. For more information on Genetic Disease, and some information on how to identify people affected with Genetic Disease in a family, download the following PDF's.

• Understanding Genetic Disease.
  
• Locating Genetic Disease in a Family Tree, an Investigation!

What is a Protein?

Proteins are the machinery of a cell. They are responsible for carrying out DNA's instructions and without them, a cell would not be able to work. They come in different shapes and sizes, they are able to move about and change their shape, they can join together with other molecules and they are amazing molecules! To learn more about proteins, download the following PDF's. There is also an information sheet which lists how to make a protein using life savers!

• What is a protein?
  
• Making a Protein, Using Life Savers

What types of proteins are there? One particular type, a receptor sits inside a cell membrane, and  acts as a post box, receiving messages from other cells. Once the receptor has gotten 'mail', it activates other proteins in the cell. It can do this by changing shape, or releasing proteins that are bound to it. Receptors are very important proteins in the body!

How do we see proteins? Using a particular technique called X-Ray Crystallography, we can understand the structure of a protein. To do this, we prepare a large batch of a particular protein, and grow crystals. Once we have crystals, we place them in a special machine, and shoot x-rays at the crystal. When the X-Rays hit the crystal they change direction (called defraction), and a special reciever picks up the x-ray. This produces a picture on X-Ray film, and once we have this picture, we can interpret the structure of the protein and build a model. For more information on receptors, growing crystals and X-Ray Crystallography, download the following PDF's.

• Understanding Proteins and a dot-to dot drawing of a receptor.
  
• Growing your own Crystals at home is easy, just follow these instructions! You just need sugar or salt, water and time.

Want more information?

For more information on the VCCRI and heart research stories visit our media release and news section.