Escape from Helix Island

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Test your knowledge about all things DNA

The mission

The mission

Main Research Floor

Find the clue you need to keep moving forward

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01:00

Problem 1/2

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question 2/2

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There is a hint on the problem box!

Main Research Floor

Find the clue you need to keep moving forward

question 1/2

01:00

You have triggered the alarms. Respond correctly before you get caught.

Reveal

Main Research Floor

Find the clue you need to keep moving forward

You have triggered the alarms. Respond correctly before you get caught.

01:00

question 1/2

Find the clue you need to keep moving forward.

01:00

question 2/2

You have triggered the alarms. Respond correctly before you are discovered.

Main Research Floor

Find the clue you need to keep moving forward

You have triggered the alarms. Respond correctly before you get caught.

00:45

question 1

Main Research Floor

Find the clues you need to keep moving forward

You have triggered the alarms. Respond correctly before you get caught.

00:30

question 1/3

Save your answer for this question, and the next two. You'll need it at the end.

You have triggered the alarms. Respond correctly before you get caught.

00:45

question 2/3

You have triggered the alarms. Respond correctly before you get caught.

00:45

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Pay attention to the colors when solving the code. Then note the numbers next to the codes. The proper order is needed!

• The type of RNA that carries genetic information from DNA in the nucleus to the ribosome in the cytoplasm, where it serves as a template for protein synthesis.
• The type of RNA that transports amino acids to the ribosome.
• The type of RNA that, together with proteins, makes up the ribosomes.

• The process by which DNA replicates in cells, where each of the two daughter DNA molecules contains one original strand and one newly synthesized strand. This method of replication ensures genetic continuity between generations of cells.

• An enzyme that unwinds the DNA double helix during DNA replication, separating the two strands to allow each to be copied.
• An enzyme that synthesizes new DNA or RNA molecules by assembling nucleotides in the order specified by a template strand.

Hint: screenshot the letters and draw a line over them to find the words. Use the colors shown above.

The Case of Colin Pitchfork, page 1

On July 31, 1986, Dawn Ashworth from the same town, was found dead in a wooded area. She had Been murdered under similar circumstances. Samples rEcovered from Ashworth’s clothing were of the same blood type and enzyme profile as Lynda Mann’s killer. The police soon arrested a suspect, 17-year-old Richard Buckland. After intense questioning by the police, he admitted to the killing. Still, police doubted his confession even though he had the corrEct blood type and enzyme profile. Police sought to prove or disprove Buckland’s confession by doing more definitIve testing. The police turned to Dr. Alec Jeffries. He was studying DNA, more specifically the gene for a protein called myoglobin. He noted that there were partS of the gene consisting of repeating bases of about 10-25 base units in length. He also discovered thaT the number of repeating base sequences differed from person to person and there Were many variations within the human pOpulation. Dr Jeffries suspected that this finding could be used by forensic scientists to differentiate people by their DNA.

On November 21, 1983 in Leicestershire, England, Lynda Mann was walking home from a friend’s house along a forested path when she vanished. She was found two days later, murdered. The hunt for her killer was unlike any previouS murder investigation. It was conducted with the hElp of a revolutionAry new science. The technIque known aS DNA fingerprinting was employed in a criminal investigation for the very first time. An examination of her cloThing revealed a biological sample from the killer. Using standard forensic serology tecHniques available at the time, authoRities determined that the sample came from a male of type A positive blood. In addition, the lab performed an enzyme analysis and concluded that the profilE matched about 10% of the male population. There were no witnesses and no other evidence. The casE soon went cold.

The Case of Colin Pitchfork, page 2

DesperaTe to find the killer, detectives decided tHat the tEchnology that had exoNerated Buckland should be used to catch the real killer. Police asked for the cooperation of the comMunity by asking all adult males to voluntarily donate a sample of blood for DNA testing. Initially, they foUnd no matches. Several months later, a man told poLice that his friend, Colin Pitchfork, had paid him money to donaTe a sample in Pitchfork’s name. Police obtaIned a warrant and got a sample of Pitchfork’s blood. His DNA matched the samPles found at both crime scenes. He was Later convicted of the crime and sentenced to thirty Years to life in prison.

He lookEd further into this and found that there were manY such regions through thE human genome. His technIque of isolating and displaying these regions from DNA became known as “DNA fingerprinting.” He uSed this technique on the DNA samples fouNd on the two girls and on DNA from Buckland, and found that Buckland’s DNA type was different from those found on the victIms. And importantly, the samples from both killers had the same DNA fingerprint. Buckland, clearly inNocent, was set free. The police were back to square onE in their hunt for the dangerous double murderer.