Science News

Unit 3/4 Biology Excursion

On Tuesday  28th February, the Unit 3/4 Biology classes went on an excursion to the Gene Technology Access Centre (GTAC) in Parkville, to build on our current study of gene manipulation and protein replication. 

We were taught the process through which human insulin is synthesised in order to be distributed to type 1 diabetics, and were able to participate in growing the bacteria required for this process. 

We learnt how to use micropipettes to transfer DNA fragments into a device which allowed us to measure their sizes. 

We then learnt how to insert human DNA into E. coli bacteria cells, which would then start producing the polypeptide chains necessary for the synthesis of insulin. 

We took the bacteria we grew back to school in order to observe the effect of the green fluorescent gene also inserted into the bacteria, used as a signpost for the bacteria with the insulin gene inserted.

Siobhan Kennedy and Corrine Zerbe (Year 12)