21 eager high school students joined the department last week for a taste of life studying biochemistry at the University of Otago.
The students were treated to a smorgasbord of activities, from how to use pipettes and measuring levels of lactate in soy sauce and in their own blood, through to cutting up DNA from bacteria with enzymes, and looking at DNA and proteins using a technique called gel electrophoresis.
They also got to design their own experiments, finding out how much glucose ends up in their blood after feasting on a variety of different foods.
Thanks to Professional Practice Fellow Shar Rae-Whitcombe (pictured in the coloured lab coat above) and demonstrators (white lab coats, from left) Pauline Uyseco, Tobi Eboda, and Harry Biggs, the week was a fantastic success. We're sure to see some of the high school visitors make their way back to the department in the future to pursue degrees in biochemistry.
Other high school students interested in coming to future Hands-on at Otago summer programmes can find out more on the Hands-on at Otago website.