Taking science to college laboratories
Biological scientists at Southampton will soon be spreading the word about the joys of experimental research.
They will be working with A level students at Peter Symonds College in Winchester on real laboratory projects to give them a genuine insight into the life of a scientist.
The University of Southampton has received a Wellcome Trust Society Award to enthuse young people about careers in biological science and generally improve scientific literacy. It is hoped the spring 2012 initiative, called ‘Authentic Biology’, will also introduce biology teachers to current laboratory practice and encourage them to carry out more practical experiments with their students.
“We believe this project will bring the excitement of practical research at university level to young people studying for their A levels,” explains Lindy Holden-Dye, Professor of Neuroscience. “Levels of scientific literacy should be improved in the community, we feel this initiative will certainly help.”
Academics at Southampton are now working on suitable projects to use next term, reflecting their personal interests in neuroscience, biofilms and plant science. This initiative follows an earlier Wellcome Trust-funded project that engaged A level students in Kent in academic research in molecular biology and protein biochemistry.
Related Staff Member
Professor Lindy Holden-Dye BSc, MSc, PhD, FRSB, FBPhS
Professor Lindy Holden-Dye holds a personal Chair in Neuroscience within Biological Sciences at the University of Southampton. Her interests focus on fundamental processes of neuronal communication and she has established research expertise in invertebrate preparations. Through this interest she has contributed to research relevant to a number of important areas of neuroscience that inform understanding of mental health. Her expertise in invertebrate neuroscience, and in particular nematode neural systems and the model genetic organism Caenorhabditis elegans positions her well to participate in drug discovery and mode of action programmes for novel antiparasitics. For the last two decades she has collaborated with industry to improve prospects for parasitic nematode control. Her research group identified the molecular target for the resistance breaking anthelmintic emodepside showing it acts through a calcium-activated K+ channel SLO-1 to bring about neuromuscular paralysis in nematode worms. This discovery has paved the way for the pursuit of new approaches to the treatment of human filarial disease. The experimental approaches deployed in her research group encompass genetics through to whole animal physiology and incorporate novel methods for tracking animal behaviour and signal processing.
View profileWe believe this project will bring the excitement of practical research at university level to young people studying for their A levels.