Mad About Science!

Updates on Science Week 

Alice James, Academic Dean of Science 

Last week was Science Week!  There were loads of fantastic activities held across the week from ELC through to Year 12.

During their lunch hour students watched Dr Mangham perform some fun demos with liquid nitrogen, then they had the chance to make liquid nitrogen ice-cream. After school, students showed off their favourite science experiments as part of the Science Fair.

Well done to Izzy Hayes and Kate Tinginis for winning the Junior School Science Fair with their demonstration of how to make slime.

In the Senior School Science Fair, Caitlin Johnston and Ella Roper explained the effect of detergent on milk and food colouring which won them 2nd place, while first place was awarded to Darcy Morrow for extracting his own DNA!

'Science is fun. Science is curiosity. We all have natural curiosity. Science is a process of investigating. It's posing questions and coming up with a method. It's delving in.'  - Sally Ride  

We had also had fun in the ELC – doing demos with dry ice and making currents dance! Our Unit 2 Biology class was very lucky to have a visit from Professor Dale Godfrey from the University of Melbourne who shared his research on using immunotherapy to cure cancer, and over 80 senior students participated in the Science Trivia Pizza Lunch!

Well done to all, and keep enjoying Science!

High School Cancer Challenge at GTAC

By Leanne Chua and Elisabeth Yeo, Year 10

On 7 August, Elisabeth Yeo and I, along with Livinia Bruce, Jack Kirkham and Khanishpyar Anand  from Biology 1/2 class, were given the wonderful opportunity to attend the High School Cancer Challenge at the Gene Technology Access Centre (GTAC).

At the GTAC, distinguished molecular biologist, Professor Suzanne Cory, and clinical haematologist, Professor Andrew Roberts, spoke to us about the monumental breakthroughs in cancer research in the past decades and discussed the up-and-coming developments in cancer combating technology. It was unbelievably insightful, and I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we enjoyed listening to every moment of it.

After the introduction to cancer research and the recent technological advancements, students were sent to labs where testing was to be done. No, we were not subjects of any research trials, we were actually sitting for a competition that tested our knowledge on cancer. The test questioned our understanding of a range of topics regarding cancer - from the causes to the treatments available.

We then had the opportunity to apply our knowledge to a case study in a workshop. We received a patient file and were given the task of diagnosing the patient using the information provided. A volunteer aided us in our attempts to draw a link between the patient’s lifestyle, risk factors, symptoms, and ultimately, his illness.

By following a series of steps, we deduced that our patient was suffering from lung cancer. This workshop was very beneficial, as we could solidify our learning in a practical activity.

We then had the privilege of spending time with cancer survivors, to talk to them about their experiences and journey living with the illness. It was a very emotional talk for many, as we learnt about the challenges that the brave survivors had faced and therefore were able to gain valuable insight into the impact that cancer has on people and their families.

Following this session, students then had a networking session with scientists working in the field of cancer research. We learnt many things from these esteemed guests, such as what the 'next big thing' is in cancer research, as well as their high school experiences and what their current work specifically entails. This time gave us all an opportunity to see clearly how the field of cancer research is an enjoyable and rewarding occupation for many bright minds in Australia. Our day finished with a guest speaker, Professor David Vaux, who spoke to us about the particulars of his research on cancer cells. 

All in all, the High School Cancer Challenge was an immensely worthwhile experience. We all obtained great knowledge and were able to delve deeper into the world of cancer research.

We’d like to thank all those involved for the opportunity to extend ourselves in a day that was truly rewarding.