U6^th Form Biologists visited the University of Bristol Life Sciences Building to take part in a Molecular Biology Workshop. 

The day was run by Dr Rose Murray and Dr Emily Bell who took the pupils through a range of methods and techniques so that they could extract their DNA and find out their genotype and phenotype for the TAS2R38 gene. This gene controls whether we are able to detect bitter tastes or not. The workshop was brilliantly run and allowed the U6^th Form Biologists to carry out processes such as PCR and gel electrophoresis that they would not have been able to do in a school laboratory setting. All of the pupils carried out the techniques well, and at the end of the day, many of them discovered that their genotype was different to what they were expecting! 

A huge thank you to Dr Murray and Dr Bell for hosting such a great Molecular Workshop. 

Kate Flavell - Head of Biology