Young Learners get a taste of Lab Life
This week a group of 16 and 17 olds will be at the University of Birmingham, sampling what it’s like to study and work in a laboratory at the Institute of Microbiology and Infection (IMI) Summer School. The teenagers from across Birmingham and Worcester will be working alongside academics, getting to grips with techniques used in a modern laboratory and finding out what it takes to be a researcher.
Now in its sixth year, the IMI Summer School is a chance for the prospective students to try out university and academic life, and find out more about the higher education options available to them. Throughout the week the group will be looking at many different areas of research carried out at the IMI including; an in-depth look at different bacteria and fungi; identifying common bacteria that live in our homes; finding out how industry and research are working together to combat antibiotic resistance; and discovering how antimicrobial resistance is spread.
Robin May, Professor of Infectious Disease and Director of the Institute of Microbiology and Infection said; “The Summer School is a great opportunity for these young people, perhaps considering a career in biosciences, to experience what it’s like to be a student or a researcher. The team at the IMI are involved in world-leading research into antimicrobial resistance to drug treatments. These potential undergraduates will be working alongside these experts and seeing this real-life research in action.”
To find out more about the Institute of Microbiology and Infection visit https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/microbiology-infection/about/index.aspx