Over a fortnight of meetings and work, the Year 12 Biomedical Society were split into groups and each given an article to read (in line with Mount Kelly’s reading week). They were then tasked to research around the topic and present their findings using a visual display the following week.
Group 1 researched what tomorrow’s vaccines would be like. Laura, Sam, Sienna and Katie covered the different types of Covid-19 vaccines we might see in the future, how they can help cope with emerging new variants and how these new technologies could be used to help vaccinate more of the world’s population.
Group 2 researched the topic of epigenetics and explained how environment interacts with our genome. In their fascinating talk, Finlay, Saša and Alexandra showed firm understanding of this complicated concept and also discussed the implications of our improved understanding of epigenetics on potential cancer treatments. Giving examples of how the impact of diet during pregnancy can be felt in subsequent generations and also thinking about the application of this understanding to aid disease prevention, this group gave a captivating presentation.
Group 3 researched Crispr. Crispr is a precision gene editing tool which scientists and doctors are excited about for its potential as a mechanism of treating genetic diseases. Vika, Mila, Claudia and Diya gave a particularly engaging presentation, filled with humour and insight into how this new technology, first discovered in bacteria in the salt flats near Alicante, is going a long way to revolutionising our capability to play with genetics.
Article by Imogen – Year 12
Categories: Academic
