Can seaweed prevent intestinal disease? (Year 12 and 13)

Year Group: 12 and 13

Subject(s): Biomedical Sciences

Attendee Requirements: Attendees should be studying A Level Biology

About: Biomedical Science has a key role in driving the discoveries that change the ways in which we target disease and promote human health. This masterclass will give students the opportunity to conduct an experiment to assess how a polymer extracted from seaweed could be the answer for preventing iron driven intestinal disease and could be used as probiotic for the enhancement of general health. Iron is important for human health (deficiency can lead to anaemia), however, in excess it can prove highly toxic to the body - it has been implicated in inflammatory bowel disease and bowel cancer. Research in Birmingham has shown that this is likely to be driven by the amplification of a number of cancer-causing molecular pathways and also through a modulation in the intestinal bacterial composition. This has led to the development of a number of therapies and students will have the opportunity to test one of these in this masterclass, gaining an insight into the life-changing research that takes place at the university.

Speaker: Dr Chris Tselepis, School of Biomedical Sciences

How to book: Bookings should be made by the school coordinator using the booking form available on the Masterclasses programme page.

To find out more about any of the Masterclasses, please email the Masterclasses team.