Our Year 12 Biology students travelled to the Gene Technology Access Centre in Melbourne where they were able to experience first- hand, the tools and techniques used to manipulate DNA. The students worked with young practising scientists and used research grade equipment to insert the Green Fluorescent Protein gene from a sea jelly into E. coli bacteria which caused the bacteria to glow green under fluorescent light. Highlights of the day included a lecture from a scientist involved in immunological studies who described current research into genes that have been shown to slow the aging process and talking to the young scientists about their research in areas such as creating a vaccine for malaria.
