International DNA Day Connects Secondary Schools and Universities
Bratislava, 30 April, 2025: At the end of April, the Faculty of Natural Sciences of Comenius University Bratislava (FNS CU) once again hosted its traditional DNA Day. Nearly 350 participants from secondary schools across Slovakia – from Košice and Banská Bystrica to Bratislava – took part in the various activities.
The event was held on the occasion of International DNA Day, commemorated annually on 25 April. It was organised by the Department of Genetics of the Faculty of Natural Sciences in cooperation with the Institute of Molecular Biomedicine of the Faculty of Medicine of Comenius University Bratislava. FNS hosted a multi-hour programme featuring engaging lectures, interactive workshops and stalls, a discussion club, and competitions in its premises - all centred around the theme of DNA.
The event offered an excellent opportunity for secondary school students to expand their knowledge in genetics, molecular biology, and biomedicine. The keynote speaker, Professor Petr Svoboda from the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague, delivered a lecture in the faculty's auditorium, introducing the fascinating world of microRNA and its role in gene expression regulation and DNA protection.
The programme also included interactive workshops designed for secondary school students, giving them a chance to conduct hands-on experiments and gain a deeper understanding of modern genetics. They learned about model organisms in genetic research, about how DNA is cleaved and how it is analysed using electrophoresis, followed the scientific process from hypothesis to publication, experienced a demonstration of rapid "mobile" sequencing methods, observed a simulation of cell division and chromosomal errors, and explored the analysis of the human skeleton and its significance in evolution and anthropology.
Participants were also able to visit research facilities of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and the Faculty of Medicine, as well as the Slovak Academy of Sciences and the Slovak University of Agriculture, all of which presented their work through posters and interactive booths. A discussion club ran in parallel, offering conversations with PhD students about research, academic studies, and scientific careers.
Secondary school student Marína Kiliánová from Bratislava was one of the participants. She will take her final exams in two years and is interested in biology, although she has not yet decided whether she will pursue it at university. "An event like this can really help with making a decision, because you get the chance to go in depth - that is something for which there is no time at school. We also get to try out fully equipped laboratories, which secondary schools don't have," said Marína.
Biology teachers also had the opportunity to take part in a workshop titled From DNA Analysis to Treatment, led by Dr Monika Baronová from the John Amos Comenius Lutheran Grammar School in Košice. The course, co-organised with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany, aimed to explain the role of DNA analysis in personalised medicine. A total of 23 participants received educational materials including four classroom activities and one extracurricular activity.
"We hold DNA Day to bring science closer to young people in a way that is interactive, comprehensible and inspiring. We are very pleased to see growing interest among secondary school students, but the support of their teachers is just as important to us. It is they who can spark an interest in science while students are still at school. That's why we aim to design a programme tailored to their needs as well - we offer new teaching materials, ideas for school activities, and links to current research. Science education is key to our future, and events like DNA Day help build bridges between schools, the university, and the world of science," said a member of the team of organisers Professor Andrea Ševčovičová.
The event was initiated by geneticist Vladimír Ferák, and the first DNA Day took place in 2004 to mark the 65th anniversary of the discovery of the DNA structure. It was held in collaboration with a group of enthusiasts led by Peter Celec from the Faculty of Medicine and Andrea Ševčovičová from FNS. This year marked the sixth edition of the event.