Insights into university biological science for A level students
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Sixth form students in Winchester have been designing and carrying out their own experiments with the help of lecturers and postgraduate research students from Biological Sciences at the University of Southampton.
Sixteen A level students from Peter Symonds College presented their findings to academics, explaining their techniques and discussing potential areas of future research.
"We were very impressed with the students' scientific curiosity and enthusiasm to carry out the kind of experiments we do in higher education," says Lindy Holden-Dye, Professor of Neuroscience.
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Some of the teenagers chose to investigate the effect of vitamins such as D and B12 and substances such as alcohol, caffeine, taurine and folic acid on the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster or the worm C.elegans. Another group examined photoreceptor cells in eyes of different species, using one of the University's microscopes to produce images of cells.
"At A level you don't normally get the chance to design a practical project," explains student Oliver Meadows, who wants to go on to study medicine. "This has been a great opportunity to learn more about the work of professional scientists." Biology teacher Dr Julian Foster adds: "This collaboration with the University has been invaluable in helping our students carry out higher level research which they can then write up for a qualification."
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The students have now also presented their work at a national meeting in London which was attended by eminent scientists Lord (Robert) Winston and Professor Russell Foster.
The outreach initiative has been made possible by a Wellcome Trust Society award aimed at enthusing young people about scientific careers.
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.
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