Learning from the Life Sciences

Life in the world’s deepest oceans, the genetics of sex, and the history and current research of diabetes will all be explored by over 250 secondary school pupils at the University of Dundee this week.

The pupils will all be attending the annual Higher Biology Conference in the School of Life Sciences The aim of the conference is to increase the awareness of recent exciting developments in life sciences. The topics being explored are among those in which the School of Life Sciences has forged an international research reputation.

The conference allows pupils to see the breadth of career opportunities that the biosciences have to offer, and also provides the pupils who will be sitting their mock higher examinations in January with a unique opportunity to experience University life at first hand.

Sexually reproducing organisms determine the gender of their offspring in a variety of different ways, all of which are either directly or indirectly genetically determined. Dr Will Whitfield’s seminar will consider how the mechanism of sex determination adopted by an organism has important consequences for aspects of its lifestyle including its behaviour, development and health. Dr Whitfield is a Senior Lecturer in the Division of Environmental and Applied Biology.

In his lecture "Diabetes, the scourge of the modern era: a historical and research perspective" Dr Hari Hundal will provide a historical account of diabetes including the ground breaking work that led to the discovery of insulin in the early part of the last century. He will also discuss how current lifestyles have contributed to the substantial rise in the disease and the kind of research that is being done to understand how the disease develops and how it may be ameliorated. Dr Hundal is a Reader in the Division of Molecular Physiology.

Dr Allan Jones will introduce pupils to the amazing and sometimes bizarre animals that live in the oceans at depths of 800m or more. In particular, predators living in this region of almost total darkness have to be specially adapted to be able to find and capture prey using some spectacular modifications to the normal body form. Dr Jones is a Senior Lecturer in the Life Sciences Teaching Unit.

Programme

10.30-10.35: Welcome by Professor Peter Downes, Dean of Faculty and Head of the School of Life Sciences

10.35-11.05: Dr William Whitfield, Life Science Teaching Unit, School of Life Sciences

11.05-11.35: Dr Hari Hundal, Division of Molecular Physiology, School of Life Sciences

11.35-11.50: Break

11.50-11.45: Dr Allan Jones, Life Sciences Teaching Unit, School of Life Sciences.

For more information contact Angie Nicoll on 01382 388377

Roddy Isles,
Head of Press
Tel: 01382 344910,
Email: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk