A week of events was organised at CCLRC Daresbury Laboratory aimed at raising awareness, among the general public, of the importance of the scientific research and methodology developped and practiced here. There were many different and varied displays and hands-on exhibits organised by staff from DL, alongside exhibits from CCLRC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. The displays were distributed over a number of sites: The Central Exhibition Hall (where General Admin. at DL used to be), the Outer Hall of the SRS, and at various points round the Ring, the BSL and the Tower. Visitors during the 'working week' were mostly school children. An evening was set aside for the local dignitaries and other interested parties. The Saturday was open to the general public in the region, although visitors from Leeds and Sheffield were recorded, who were here especially for the day!

The Protein Crystallography and CCP4 teams joined together in an effort to explain our activities in the field of Structural Biology, under the umbrella title Anatomy of Life at the Atomic Level. There were physical models for a hands on experience of surgery on a mannequin; diffraction of sound waves linked to a loudspeaker for impact; laser diffraction from a grid printed on a projector slide; a rotating wheel displaying the various states of the 'Breathing Haemoglobin' molecule swapping O2 for CO2 and back; a model of hen egg-white lysozyme complexed with a hexa-saccharide. There was also a diaplay of the software used in the various stages of handling protein models, and a set of web pages prepared specifically for the event. Of course, they are to be kept on-line, and may be accessed at URL http://www.dl.ac.uk/SRS/PX/openday.

The Biology Support Laboratory joined the effort by hosting two groups of school children for an explanation of the importance of the work in the area of Structural Biology. Some users were also recruited for a similar explanation of their use of the facilities at Daresbury. A complete(?) list of contributions can be linked to from the above URL.

The joys of handling models and looking at computer simulations were equally matched by the great enthusiasm of many visitors to have their pictures recorded and included on the internet pages set up for this event. Readers are encouraged to scan through the visitors pages at URL http://www.dl.ac.uk/SRS/OTHER/OW/visitors.html and the pages linked to from this one. Many other web pages packed with fun simulations, have been set up, reflecting other DL activities, which crystallographers and the public at large might find interesting, at URL http://www.dl.ac.uk/SRS/OTHER/OW/.

The week was very hectic, but it was fun talking to people from other walks of life and discovering what they make of this place, marked by the characteristic Tower, rising in the Cheshire plain. Perhaps the best comment on the week came from Manolis Pantos: "OW, What a Week it was".

Pierre Rizkallah
Daresbury Laboratory Page last updated 31 July 1997

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