Performance enhancing drugs (PEDs)
This workshop looks at various aspects including....
- What performance enhancing drugs are.
- Why some athletes take them.
- How drug doping is detected.
Topic outline
Amazing Antibodies
In this workshop, you will learn about....
- How our body tries to protect us from infection.
- What happens if we are infected by microbes which cause disease.
- How we can test if people have immunity to a disease.
Blood - What's Your Type?
In this workshop, you will ....
- Find out about what makes up our blood.
- Learn about how and why we have different blood groups.
- Use your new knowledge and investigation skills to work out the blood groups of patients visiting a hospital.
Vaccination - Immunising a population
In this workshop you will....
- Learn about the history of vaccinations.
- Get to understand how a vaccination works.
- Work out whether patients need a booster vaccination.
- Learn why mutations in the DNA of bacteria and viruses require new vaccines.
- Learn about the history of vaccinations.
Wonderful waxcaps
This workshop will look at…
- The structure of waxcaps.
- How waxcaps can be detected using the technique eDNA.
- Identification of waxcaps using DNA barcoding.
- The importance and conservation of waxcaps.
Geneious
In this workshop you will:
- Find out about the structure of DNA.
- Learn about genes and how they code for different features of all living things.
- Think about how mutations in our DNA lead to variety in all living things.
- Use DNA sequences to help solve problems.
Pwllpeiran alpacas
Aberystwyth University has its own herd of alpacas! This workshop will look at several aspects of alpacas including ….
- How their natural habitat differs from their home in Wales.
- Physical and behavioural adaptations of alpacas.
- Classification and evolution of alpacas.
- How alpaca fiber can be used to make colourful yarn .
Drugs from Daffodils
This video explains the role daffodils are playing in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
Incredible Insects!
Insects have been eaten all over the world for thousands of years but there is increasing interest in entomophagy (eating insects). This course will look at several aspects of insects including:
- What insects are.
- The nutritional benefits of eating insects.
- The environmental benefits of eating insects.
- The next steps before entomophagy is commonplace in Europe.
Wading birds in Wales
Eurasian curlews (Numenius arquata) are migratory wading birds that can be found in Wales. This workshop looks at various aspects of curlews such as ……
- the adaptations of Eurasian curlews to their habitat.
- their diet and place in the food chain.
- the reasons behind their decline.
- efforts to conserve curlew numbers.
Hay fever and pollen forecasts
This short video with accompanying worksheet looks at...
- how pollen can cause hay fever,
- treatments for hay fever,
- how pollen forecasts can be used to help hay fever sufferers.
Hemp: The Historical Super Plant
Is hemp a historical super plant? Learn all about hemp’s amazing properties and how it is different from its psychoactive cousin marijuana in this short video with an accompanying worksheet.
Fish inspired soft robot
This video discusses how a small self-powered robotic fish was able to reach the deepest part of the Pacific Ocean - the Mariana Trench. Based on an article in The Conversation by Dr Dimitris Tsakiris from the Department of Computer Science, Aberystwyth University. Includes an accompanying worksheet with numeracy exercises.
Year 10 WJEC Biology specified practicals
This course will guide you through how to carry out the Year 10 WJEC specified biology practicals.
WARNING: Do not attempt these experiments without a teacher present who has undertaken a full risk assessment.
Sports Drinks and Energy Drinks
For our bodies to work properly we need to keep the following relatively constant:
body temperature, water levels, electrolyte (salt) levels, and glucose levels. The regulation of the body's internal environment is called homeostasis. In this workshop, we look at .....- some of the changes that take place during exercise,
- how the body responds,
- and how sport and energy drinks may aid athletic performance.
Virtual Fieldtrip - The Rocky Shore
Join us on a virtual 360 degree tour of College Rocks in Aberystwyth. Based around topics in the GCSE Biology syllabus you will learn about:
- Classification of animals and plants using keys
- Food Chains and Webs
- Pyramids of Numbers and Biomass
- Adaptations of organisms to their environment
- Competition
- Sampling techniques for estimating abundance