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RSE Inspiration Award for Unit Scientist: 19 October 2006

We would like to congratulate Professor Wendy Bickmore FRSE who has been awarded The Annual Inspiration Award of The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) for 2006. The Annual Inspiration Awards of The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) seek to recognise the outstanding contribution made by Volunteers to the RSE's programme of educational activities for Young People.

Held throughout Scotland, these events include fun lectures, master classes - providing opportunities for hands-on experiments - and discussion of topical issues. There is a particular emphasis on issues arising from new technologies, such as cloning and mobile phones and those that include ethical dimensions. Some events take place on Saturday mornings or require travelling long distances throughout Scotland, requiring real commitment from Volunteers.

Unit PhD Student Enthuses School Pupils: 16 Oct 2006

PhD Student Enthuses School Pupils Joe Rainger, a PhD student in David FitzPatrick's group, has just completed a 'Researcher in Residence' placement at Knox Academy in Haddington, East Lothian. The programme is designed to enthuse young students to consider careers in the biological sciences, especially genetics.

It also offers the opportunity to young researchers like Joe to develop their science communication skills. When he met the students in June, Joe gave a short introductory seminar describing research performed at the unit and what being a PhD student was like. Students performed an investigative practical using biological databases to look for certain genes, retrieve their DNA sequences and identify some diseases they may be implicated in.

In subsequent visits, Joe built upon this exercise and helped them to perform a PCR reaction for one of these genes. Students were able to visualise their products by gel electrophoresis and to read the sequence of the fragments they had amplified. The students ably identified a point mutation thought to affect the binding properties of a transcription factor and went on to discuss possible consequences of such mutations. Joe set this project up independently and strongly encourages other students to consider undertaking their own 'RinR'. "Taking a small amount of time out from my PhD to work with potential future biologists, and seeing their enthusiasm for genetics be sparked, has been an immensely satisfying experience and rekindles my own passion for science. I thoroughly recommend it".