Biotechnology Day

Our Lower Sixth Biology students had the opportunity to experience what it is like to work in a lab.

One of our Biologists, Vlada, reports back on the day:

‘The aim was to cut out a section of DNA from a bacterial cell’s plasmid using enzymes. During the experiment we got to work with advanced equipment, such as micropipettes, centrifuges and electrophoresis systems. We measured and mixed the DNA and enzymes, added some colour pigment and conducted gel electrophoresis – the process of separating differently sized DNA segments using electrical current; seeing the patterns produced by the scattering of DNA was fascinating! Our teachers explained that this whole process of cutting out genes is often used to aid important procedures in medicine, such as insulin production. The activity provided us with a deeper understanding of how biotechnology is used to find solutions to issues in real life, which was very inspiring for us as scientists.’