Try our Labs
Posted: 29 Apr 2020As many Universities need to quickly move their learning online during the current coronavirus ...
The OpenScience Laboratory
An initiative of The Open University and The Wolfson Foundation
This online laboratory brings interactive practical science to students anywhere and anytime the internet is available. The laboratory features investigations based on on-screen instruments, remote access experiments and virtual scenarios using real data. Several activities are available to all, while others are available only to registered users.
Come in and look around.
If you close this box, you can still see it at any time by clicking About from the main header above.
Popular experiments
Time required 1 hour
A-level: virtual microscope
Subject BioA collection of slides covering animal and plant tissues in the school curriculum.
Time required 1-2 hours or more
Time required
All experiments (random order, page 1 of 5)
Particle camera (S818)
Subject Astro PhysRemote access Particle Cameras for Open University module S818
Time required 1 hour
Using the digital microscope to count leukocytes in blood samples
Subject Bio HealthTime required
The Digital Geology Kit
Subject Earth EnvView mineral, rock and fossil specimens in high-quality images and videos.
Time required 10 min - 10 h
Light and strain experiments (T212)
Subject Elec EngThis consists of two experiments: one where you will control a set of light sensors, and in the second take measurements on an experiment where a strain gauge forms one part of a wheatstone bridge.
Time required 55 minutes
Quantitative PCR analysis
Subject Bio ChemReal time PCR, human CYP2D6 gene variants, gene copy number, controls, population analysis.
Time required 1 hour
DNA quantitation
Subject Bio ChemSpectrometry, micropipette, dilutions, quantitation, quality checks, controls.
Time required 2 hours
Pesticide analysis with GC-MS
Subject Chem Env HealthFinding environmental pesticides by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry.
Time required 2.5 hours
Eating for energy
Subject Env BioAn investigation into why greater horseshoe bats are so rare in Britain today.
Time required 1 hour
Time required