Inspire & Readiness Course – Biologists Step Up

Post A level revision and tests out the way the Biology dept stepped up a gear taking 20 Upper Sixth Formers into a real University experience.  This group includes biologists, medics, vets along with pupils planning to study BioMed, Physiology and Physiotherapy. 

The 19th century was the time of the great Chemistry discoveries and the 20th century the years Physics made its greatest strides.  Now it’s Biology’s turn! We are living in an age of Biology, where advances are happening so rapidly that textbooks are out of date before they are printed. 
 

For that reason, undergraduates will rarely use textbooks at University.  Instead they will be expected to read and understand the actual papers researchers publish.  On a weekly basis they will have papers to read before lectures, tutorials and seminars.    Mr Quinton secured access to over 50 cutting edge papers published in 2020, and some even not yet in print – on topics ranging from enzymes involved in cancer to post operation ACL  treatment to horse acupuncture to help with insulin dysregulation to research into cooperative behaviour in vampire bats. 
 

Mr Quinton‘s Upper Sixth Form biologists have been taking individual areas of Biology of interest to them and studying these cutting-edge papers, as they will have to at University.  They have presented their findings to the rest of the group – again another skill required for University.  Mr Quinton is very passionate about communication in Science in this age of biotechnology and genetic engineering; there has never been a greater need for good communicators to explain to the public and politicians, the discoveries and advances made.  It has been a real voyage of discovery!