• Question: What was you most interesting experiment?

    Asked by Shiv to Omur, Chris, Hayley, Jimi, Maddison on 14 Mar 2016. This question was also asked by Ayayai.
    • Photo: Omur Tastan

      Omur Tastan answered on 14 Mar 2016:

      My most interesting experiment was mutating(killing) a mysterious gene in the fruit fly. 🙂
      Nobody knew what it did and when I made the mutant flies, they had tumors! So, then I spent two years trying to figure out the exact mechanism of how this was happening. When we put a healthy gene back to those flies, tumors disappeared and the flies were very healthy. And, my supervisor from my PhD is still working on that gene to characterise its function further!

    • Photo: Maddison Coke

      Maddison Coke answered on 14 Mar 2016:

      I think the most interesting experiment are when they dont quite go right. When you think you know whats going to happen than something new happens. We have this all the time when we try and create new materials- its actually very hard to guess how atoms will react when there is no atmosphere around. I like trying different recipes of atoms (yes it is actually quite a lot like cooking) and seeing what I come out with then trying to find a pattern as to the recipe and then what I produced. I like finding patterns in my results.

    • Photo: Jimi Wills

      Jimi Wills answered on 15 Mar 2016:

      “what happens if…”

      My favourite experiments are the ones where I make new equipment that makes it easier to do the experiments that people do a lot. A lot of the time this means writing computer software, but sometimes it’s actually building stuff in the lab… out of bits and pieces…

      “what happens if I try to stick this to that? Ooh, that works!”

    • Photo: Hayley Moulding

      Hayley Moulding answered on 16 Mar 2016:

      My most interesting experiment is measuring peoples brain activity! I wired people up to a box which measures their brain activity. I ask them to do lots of different tasks and activities to see how their brain activity changes, including sleeping! That is a great activity to have to do in an experiment isn’t it!? I then can compare the activity of peoples brains during the day and when they are asleep.

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