In these two Centre of the Cell activities, students learn about how new medicines are developed – from the initial idea, through the science that turns them into treatments, to the clinical research that tests whether they are safe and effective. Students investigate cancer detection and how medicines are...

From the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), this resource describes the new and exciting subject that brings together many different branches of science. Astrobiology is the study of how life formed and developed on the Earth, the conditions that made this possible and whether these conditions can...

Biotech, published by the Association for Science Education, was a set of teaching and learning activities devised by a team of advisers and teachers from three local authorities in the days of the ...

This is one of a series of focused units, from the Association for Science Education and the Design and Technology Association, to introduce students to important technologies and their applications. This unit features control systems and their applications to...

Could there be life on Mars? Perhaps so, although the high intensity of UV light means that it is unlikely to be found on the surface. The experiment demonstrates how bacteria grown on agar plates can be killed off by UV exposure. Curriculum areas covered: • Microbiology • Cell biology • Aseptic technique The video...

Produced by the Microbiology Society, these activities explore the microbes that cause dental plaque and tooth decay. [b]Marvellous Microbes issue three[/b] This comic strip shows a dentist explaining how plaque forms on teeth from saliva, food and bacteria. The dentist shows how a disclosing tablet can stain the...

A Catalyst article explaining how enzymes allow chemical reactions in all living organisms to proceed quickly, under conditions where they would normally be very slow. By isolating enzymes that could be used to catalyze reactions, scientists have started a major biotechnology industry. The article describes how...

One of a series of articles for post-16 students published by Science and Plants for Schools (SAPS). Chloroplasts evolved from photosynthetic bacteria and contain DNA encoding a remnant of their original bacterial genes. 

This booklet discusses how the study of chloroplast genes has helped biologists...

This resource centres around five posters designed to promote discussion, which link to the topic areas of micro-organisms, keeping healthy, plants, life-cycles, how we see things and PSHE. The notes provide information for teachers including key teaching points and questions. They focus on the variety of micro-...

Produced by The Centre for Industry Education Collaboration (CIEC), these resources help to put curriculum science in a real life context. The activities provide an opportunity for children to think about micro-organisms and come to understand that they can be both helpful and harmful. This approach makes the...

These cross-curricular activities, from Centre of the Cell, introduce the concept of vaccination and why it only protects the population if most people are vaccinated. They show how early vaccination was tested and discuss the role of informed consent in Clinical Research. Students learn about the process of...

The resources in this collection provide guidance on practicals, study sheets and classroom ...

Since the discovery of antibiotics, many people believe that the pathogenic microorganism threat to the population has been removed, with fatal infections and infectious diseases brought under control. This has discouraged research into drugs containing natural compounds such as essential oils. However, humans are...