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Learn about our research as explained by our undergraduate students.

The Department of Biochemistry teaches two types of students:
Undergraduates learn about biochemistry that has already been discovered.
Postgraduates start to do research projects themselves and discover new things about biochemistry.

As part of their study, our third-year undergraduates learn about some of the research that postgrads do in the department, including:

  • Gene therapy for rare brain disease
  • How mussels might be able to survive climate change
  • How cancer works
  • How creatures survive being frozen
  • Gene editing using CRISPR-Cas9

The undergrads explain this research to high school students around Dunedin. They also talk about what biochemistry is, and what it's like to study it at Otago.

Here are some of their presentations (videos, handouts, and posters).


Studying biochemistry at university


Gene therapy for Batten Disease - Protein structure - Green-lipped mussels and climate change


Studying biochemistry at university - Breast cancer research - How creatures survive being frozen


Breast cancer research - PCR and gel electrophoresis - Studying biochemistry


What is biochemistry? - Studying biochemistry - How creatures survive being frozen - Studying brain diseases - Growing a brain on a dish - Crispr-Cas9 gene editing


CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing - What is biochemistry? - Careers with a biochem degree (handout)

Image of part of handout including text and a diagram describing CRISPR gene editing

Download and read the CRISPR - Biochemistry - Careers handout.

Then take this Kahoot quiz based on the handout.


Making ryegrass more nutritious for sheep and cows - Research into rare genetic diseases - Student life Q and A (poster)

Infographic taken from poster summarising research on making non-flowering ryegrass including text and drawings of ryegrass in different states.

Download and read the Ryegrass - Genetic diseases poster.

Then take this Kahoot quiz based on the poster.


Gene expression - The function of mRNA vaccines (handout)

Sketch of the role of mRNA in a cell including mRNA being made from DNA in the nucleus and then mRNA helping to make proteins with ribosomes in the cytoplasm

Download and read the Gene expression - mRNA handout.


Cancer (poster)

Reproduction of the top part of the poster on Cancer, including text and a stylised drawing of tumour cells.

Download and read the Cancer poster.


Return to the main Otago Biochemistry high school resources page here

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