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Exhibition National Museum of Scotland

Parasites: Battle for Survival

6 Dec 2019 - 19 Apr 2020

Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3

Free

Explore the challenges we face in fighting five of the most persistent parasites and discover the people who are fighting against them – from scientists and researchers in the laboratory to the local communities and workers on the front line. 

Looking down the microscope in the Parasites exhibition © Neil Hannah

Symptom checking in the Parasites exhibition © Neil Hannah

This hands-on exhibition invites you to build a parasite as you move through the interactive displays, hear from scientists leading the fight, discover the rules of working in a lab, and explore how to design drugs to tackle these diseases.

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    Interactive games in the Parasites exhibition © Ruth Armstrong

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    Exploring the lab in the Parasites exhibition © Ruth Armstrong

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    Reading comics in the Parasites exhibition © Ruth Armstrong

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    Exploring the lab in the Parasites exhibition © Ruth Armstrong

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    Hearing from scientists in the Parasites exhibition © Ruth Armstrong

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    Parasites exhibition © Ruth Armstrong

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    Stamp station in the Parasites exhibition © Ruth Armstrong

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The exhibition focuses on five tiny parasites that cause some of the most devastating diseases including malaria, schistosomiasis, leishmaniasis, sleeping sickness and guinea worm disease. These diseases affect 1 in every 18 people in the world. These five are among a range of diseases which the World Health Organization is aiming to eliminate, some as soon as 2020, with research centres in Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow at the forefront of these efforts. 

Diagnosing sleeping sickness in West Africa © University of Glasgow

Boat with tsetse fly trap © Vincent Jamonneau IRD

Boat with tsetse fly trap © Vincent Jamonneau IRD

Testing in the field © C Faust

Testing in the field © C Faust

National Museum of Scotland
Chambers Street
Edinburgh
EH1 1JF

 

Map and directions

We want everyone who comes to our museums to enjoy their time with us and make the most of their visit. 

 

  • There is level access to the Museum via the main doors to the Entrance Hall on Chambers Street and the Tower entrance at the corner of Chambers Street and George IV Bridge. 
  • Lifts are available to all floors and accessible toilets are available on most floors, as well as a Changing Places (U) toilet in the Entrance Hall on Level 0.
  • There is an induction loop in the Auditorium.
  • Guide dogs, hearing dogs and other recognised assistance dogs are admitted.

 

Find out more about our access information.

Would you like to visit with a school group? Find out more about planning a free teacher-led visit to our exhibition here.

 

Looking for Teachers' events or workshop activities for S1–6? Find out more about our workshops here. 

 

Primary class? Find out more about visiting with a P4–7 class here.

 

Download Parasites Teachers Notes

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