The Laboratory of Evolutionary and Functional Genomics (González Lab) at the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-UPF) of Barcelona invites you to be part of the European citizen science project “Melanogaster: Catch the Fly!” (#MelanogasterCTF), in which a number of scientists, students, and high school teachers from various countries and Spanish regions already participate.
We have been developing this citizen science project since 2016, with the initial participation of two Spanish high schools. In 2018, the project reached around 15 high schools across six Spanish provinces, and in 2019, we were joined by the Justus von Liebig school in Germany (Baden-Württemberg).
You can find more information about the project here: https://melanogaster.eu.
What do you need in order to participate in the project?
1. ONLINE TRAINING.
You’ll need to participate in “Teach and Fly” prior to sampling.
2. CONDUCT AN INFORMATION SESSION WITH THE STUDENTS WHO WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE PROJECT.
You’ll need to carry out a short information session with the students participating in the project (1 hour) about its objectives and the scientific concepts necessary to understand it. We will provide you with the necessary educational material. The goal is for the students to understand the project they’ll be participating in.
3. COLLECT FLIES WITH YOUR STUDENTS
Collect fruit fly samples in fruit fields near your high school with a maximum group size of 20 high school students, and then classify them in your high school’s laboratory. We will provide you with the guides, protocols, and other necessary material needed in order to carry out sampling and classification.
4. SEND THE SAMPLES TO THE DrosEU RESEARCHER IN CHARGE.
We will put you in contact with the DrosEU researcher in charge in your country.
If you think that your high school might be interested in participating in the project, please fill out the following form:
(Lisez cette page et formulaire en FRANÇAIS ici).
#MelanogasterCTF provides guidelines and School Teaching Materials in English, Spanish, and French. You can find them in the Resources section.
If you need advice on how to translate them into your country’s language, contact us.
