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S5 Chemistry visit Glasgow University

S5 Chemistry visit Glasgow University

Delight in Learning

Eight fifth years: Conor McCrossan, Lucy Docherty, Caitlin Cameron Coyle, Charlie McCallum, Tegan MacDonald, Carmen Durick, Ciara Spratt and Stuart Cassidy accompanied Mr Anderson to Glasgow University on Monday 25th February to spend a day in the Chemical Biology & Medicinal Chemistry research laboratory of Professor Rob Liskamp.

Along with his lab manager, Dr Susan Gannon, and his postgraduate researcher Dr Alex Hoose, Professor Liskamp provided our pupils with the opportunity to carry out actual research, utilising techniques our pupils will use not only in Advanced Higher Chemistry, but in undergraduate work and beyond. Working in pairs, pupils were asked to chemically protect an amino acid in order to allow further reactions to take place, before purifying the material and then identifying it's structure.

The chemistry carried out by Professor Liskamp's group, and by our own pupils, will hopefully be used to produce environmentally friendly insecticides,  anti-cancer drugs and vaccines for Hepatitis C. Our pupils thoroughly enjoyed this experience and we are extremely grateful to Rob for allowing us to use his lab, staff and resources.