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Science and Technology Facilities Council - UKRI
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These resources have been reviewed and selected by STEM Learning’s team of education specialists for factual accuracy and relevance to teaching STEM subjects in UK schools.
Martian Death Rays
Could there be life on Mars? Perhaps so, although the high intensity of UV light means that it is unlikely to be found on the surface. The experiment demonstrates how bacteria grown on agar plates can be killed off by UV exposure. Curriculum areas covered: • Microbiology • Cell biology • Aseptic technique The video shows Chris Carr describing how UV radiation can damage cellular life at the surface of Mars. He takes samples from a computer keyboard and transfers this to an agar plate. He then uses a UV sterilizer on the keyboard and takes a further sample. The two samples are compared in a colony count.
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