25 April, 2006

National Science Week at Nottingham Trent University

More than 1,000 school pupils are preparing to converge on Nottingham Trent University for what promises to be its biggest and best National Science Week celebration. Four fun-filled days of hands-on activities have been organised to demonstrate the importance of science, engineering and technology to our everyday lives.

The event at the Clifton campus has been organised by the University’s Centre for Effective Learning in Science (CELS) and will involve pupils aged 9 to 18 from across the region.

Science educator Dr Mark Biddiss will perform a range of weird and wonderful experiments on Tuesday, during two Exploding Science lectures aimed at younger pupils.

On Wednesday a Mini Beasts Master Class will look at the different species of small invertebrates in two contrasting habitats on the campus, using measuring instruments to take environmental readings. Students can also practice techniques involved in genetic fingerprinting during the What a Cheek Master Class, extracting DNA using cheek swab samples.

A Synthesis and Spectroscopy Master Class on Thursday will educate older pupils about the synthesis of household medicines such as aspirin, and then use colour and light radiation (spectroscopy) to analyse them.

Medicine beyond the Molecule will outline the crucial role played by chemists who have developed many effective medicines. It will explore what happens to drug molecules inside the body using illustrations, audience participation and demonstrations. The Vampire Bacteria lecture will look at research in the field of microbiology and its relevance to our lives.

On Friday the Using your Physics lecture series will be an exciting afternoon exploring physics research and how it affects our lives. The lectures, given by guest speakers, will finish with a master class by Dr Martin Bencsik, who will demonstrate the principles of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) using a bicycle wheel and show how important the technique is today in modern medicine.

CELS Outreach Coordinator, Georgina Westbrook, said: “Science Week is an excellent opportunity to get kids really excited about science. It’s a fascinating subject and we hope to show this through the demonstrations and practical sessions to pupils and teachers alike. We look forward to hosting our visitors at Nottingham Trent University.’’

Notes for editors: National Science Week (March 10-19) is coordinated by the British Association for the Advancement of Science (BA). It is funded by the Department of Trade and Industry and is sponsored by BP and the Economic and Social Research Council.   An online programme of events can be found at http://www.the-ba.net/nsw.

CELS aims to create a more relevant, accessible and achievable image for science within both the higher education and school communities. Based on the university’s excellent record in science teaching and nationally recognised widening participation activities, CELS will enable academic teams to develop and trial new approaches to teaching and presenting science to both communities.

For more information please contact:

Dave Rogers, Press Officer, Nottingham Trent University, on +44 (0)115 848 2650 or dave.rogers@ntu.ac.uk.

Or Therese Easom, Press and Media Relations Manager, Nottingham Trent University, on +44 (0)115 848 6589 or therese.easom@ntu.ac.uk.