Secrets of the Dark: DNA and the Hidden Life of Cave Animals

Third-grade pupils from Petar Zrinski Elementary School in Šenkovec on June 9th, 2025 participated in a workshop organized by the Croatian Biospeleological Society. The pupils were introduced to the diversity of cave animals and their unique characteristics, the importance of protecting the Dinaric region and its subterranean habitats. They also learned about basic procedures in a DNA laboratory, including DNA extraction and the DNA barcoding.

With a power point presentation, studying cave animals using a magnifying glass, and isolating DNA from a banana, everyone had fun.

The workshop was funded by the BIOSCAN project Understudied biodiversity in the depths of Dinarides, supported by the European consortium Biodiversity Genomics Europe (BGE).