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Microbiology

Students will practice microbiological laboratory techniques to get up close to bacteria.

Who is it for: Key stage 4 and post-16
Duration: 2 hours
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Students looking through a microscope in schools' workshop.

Practice microbiological laboratory techniques to get up close to bacteria.

Students will use several methods to identify different bacteria. The first, aseptic techniques to pour and streak plates to grow bacterial colonies. They will also prepare slides with a gram stain to examine and identify bacteria under our research grade microscopes.

Students follow this by examining the effects of a range of antibiotics on a strain of bacteria and make recommendations for an effective treatment.

Curriculum links

Key stage 4 and post-16
Biology
  • KS4 Science - Cell Biology | Health, disease and Medicine Development | Working Scientifically
  • AS/A Level Biology - Cell Structure | Immunity and Infection | Communicable Diseases, Disease Prevention and the Immune System | Practical Skills in Biology

By the end of the workshops students will have discovered:

Microscope icon.

How to identify a range of bacteria under the microscope and in colonies.

Bacteria icon.

The effectiveness of different antibiotics on bacteria.

Syringe icon.

That through genetic engineering characteristics of bacteria can be changed to do useful jobs such as produce insulin for medical use. (syringe)

Petri dish icon.

How electrophoresis can be used to analyse DNA samples. (petri dish)

Dropper icon

How to carry out key microbiological techniques using specialist equipment including; micro-pipetting, aseptic techniques and transformation of bacteria.

School trip prices

Please note: there is a small price increase from September 2024 – full details.

Teachers and adult helpers go FREE!
Workshop only
£200
(full class up to 24)
£100
(half class up to 12)
Science centre add-on
£5.00 per pupil
Post-visit resource

I’m a scientist (online) sessions

£30.00 per class