A Blog by Dr Jill Johnson of Aston University and Professor Lucy Fairclough of the University of Nottingham
After successfully securing funding from the British Society for Immunology, members of the MI Flow Cytometry Network hosted 30 Year 10, GCSE, and A levels students from Aston Manor Academy to get an exclusive glimpse of what it is like to work in flow cytometry.
The school children had all been specifically selected by their teachers due their keen interest in science, and especially biology. According to the government deprivation index, the school’s catchment is more deprived than most neighbourhoods in England.
The science outreach event at Aston University aimed to inspire GCSE students studying double or triple science by giving them a hands-on introduction to key concepts in immunology and molecular biology. Students explored how flow cytometry works, discussed antibody structure and function through creative pop models, and even made an edible version of a flow cytometer!
In the lab, students also learned about bacteria and viruses by modelling them with playdough in Petri dishes. They tackled problem-solving activities such as matching proteins with their corresponding DNA and RNA sequences, encouraging them to think like real molecular biologists.
There was also an amazing demonstration showing the freezing process of a chicken egg, comparing the effect of ordinary ice, dry ice and liquid nitrogen.
To round off the session, students had the chance to discuss their scientific interests and explore what university degrees they might pursue in the future. It was truly inspiring to see so many young minds excited about the world of science!
