For pupils

From the sketch to the printed component

3D printing has been inexorably making its way into industrial production for some years now and will be indispensable in a few years' time. As part of the laboratory experiment, you will be introduced to this new technology in a playful way. Firstly, you will learn how a 3D printer works and see how even highly complex components are created. You will then tackle a real design problem on our bearing press. To solve this, you will first sketch a suitable component by hand and then design it in 3D CAD on the PC. Further steps and measures are necessary to finally be able to hold this component in your hands as a 3D print: you prepare the model for printing, improve the geometry with regard to the best possible printability and quality and configure the actual printing process. Then you finally start the printer. We accompany you every step of the way. Finally, you will also assemble the finished component and bring the defective bearing press back to life.

^{Grades 4-12
Duration approx. 2h
Number of participants 4 to 6                     
Availability January, February, March, July and September
Contact and booking Prof. Dr M. Walter (Tel: 0981/487-559)}

Turning wind into electricity

The energy of the wind can be converted into electricity using modern wind turbines. The most common type is the three-bladed wind turbine with a horizontal axis. They transfer the rotation of the rotor caused by the wind to an electrical generator, which converts the rotational energy into electrical energy and feeds it into the power grid.
Pupils in years 4 to 12 can find out for themselves how important a suitable location or the angle of inclination of the blades of a wind turbine are in the energy technology laboratory with experiments on the performance of wind turbines. For example, they measure the voltage and current of wind turbines under different conditions.

^{Grades 4-12
Duration approx. 2h
Number of participants max. 10
Room 92.0. 4                         
Availability January, February, March, July and September}
Contact and booking Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Babak Esmaili (Tel: 0981/4877-326)

Germany wants to be climate-neutral by 2045.

It sounds strange, but combustion engines will help to achieve this goal. And this despite the ‘combustion engine ban’ in the European Union from 2035.
In a real research laboratory, we take a close-up look at how climate-neutral combustion engines are already contributing to the energy transition.
Through exciting experiments, we will familiarise ourselves with the combustion engine and turn hydrogen into electricity. If you want to discover modern technology in a hands-on way, this is the right place for you.

^{Year 9-12
Duration approx. 1h
Number of participants 5-10
Availability January, February, March, July, September, October
Contact and booking Johannes Fichtner, M. Sc. (johannes.fichtner@hs-ansbach.de)}

Experiments on the temperature stability of catalase

Enzymes are proteins that accelerate chemical reactions. They are also known as biocatalysts. Every cell has several thousand enzymes without which no living organism could exist. Many enzymes are used technically to manufacture products in our daily lives. These include foodstuffs, vitamins, flavourings and medicines. Enzymes are also used in environmental protection to break down toxic substances. For example, the enzyme catalase decomposes the toxic hydrogen peroxide formed during cellular respiration into water and oxygen. Hydrogen peroxide is used as a bleaching agent in the textile industry. Waste water containing hydrogen peroxide can be disposed of using catalase. This process is much more environmentally friendly than the chemical process and also saves energy. In the experiment, the dependence of catalase activity on temperature is analysed using a photometric method.

^{Year >10
Duration approx. 2.5 h
Number of participants 4-10                     
Availability January, February, March, July and September
Contact and booking Prof Dr D. Fabritius (dirk.fabritius@hs-ansbach.de)}

Experiments on the fermentation of yeast

Biotechnology uses microorganisms to produce pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals or products for the food sector. For this purpose, microorganisms are cultivated in bioreactors under defined conditions and the bioproducts are then purified. In the experiment, baker's yeast is cultivated on a laboratory scale and the growth process is characterised using typical parameters. This can then be used to create a growth profile. In addition, the students get to know the equipment of a biotechnology centre, including the facilities for upstream and downstream processing (production and purification of a bioproduct).

^{Year >10
Duration approx. 2.5h
Number of participants 8-18                     
Availability January, February, March, July and September
Contact and booking Prof. Dr S. Gaisser (sibylle.gaisser@hs-ansbach.de)}

Experiment for the identification of E. coli safety strains

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a fundamental method of molecular biology with a wide range of applications. It is used, for example, in paternity tests, to identify criminals and in various areas of medical diagnostics. The aim of our experiment is to differentiate between various E. coli strains used in the laboratory with the aid of PCR. Such a test should be carried out regularly in genetic engineering laboratories. In addition to PCR, the students also learn other basics of molecular biology, such as working with pipettes and carrying out agarose gel electrophoresis.

^{Year >10
Duration approx. 5 h
Number of participants 12-18                     
Availability February, March, July
Contact and booking Prof. Dr A. Martin (annette.martin@hs-ansbach.de)}

Genetic engineering to try out

One of the core areas of biotechnology is the genetic engineering of proteins in a suitable host organism. Recombinant proteins produced in this way are used in the medical field as drugs, for example. For example, human insulin is produced recombinantly in E. coli bacteria.
The practical course involves working with genetically modified bacteria that carry the gene for GFP (green fluorescent protein) and therefore fluoresce themselves. Standard genetic engineering methods such as plasmid preparation, restriction and gel electrophoresis are taught.

^{Year >10
Duration approx. 3-4 h
Number of participants 12-18                    
Availability February, March, July
Contact and booking Prof. Dr A. Martin (annette.martin@hs-ansbach.de)}