Junior investigators see the appliance of science

The University of Teesside will become a giant scientific laboratory for three days next week as about 800 secondary school-children from 26 secondary schools across the Tees Valley and North Yorkshire region take part in a range of experiments designed to show them the relevance of science to the work-place.

The three-day 'Chemistry at Work' event from Tuesday July 4 to Thursday July 6, 2000 is organised by the Teesside Chemical Initiative's Science Education Unit in partnership with the Middlesbrough-based university.

Sponsored by the Royal Society of Chemistry, the 3 days of activities includes presentations by the University's Forensic Investigation team (on Tuesday and Wednesday) which will see a lab in the University's Innovation and Virtual Reality Centre turned into a make-believe murder or burglary scene. The 13 and 14 year-old junior Sherlock Holmes's will be invited to take fingerprints and look for other clues - including investigating footwear impressions using plaster of paris.

The University's Food Science team will also be giving talks along with companies and organisations including Glaxo Wellcome Synetix and the Institute of Biology. The sessions will end with an exciting and fun filled chemical demonstration entitled 'explosions' by Dr Cliff Ludman from the University of Durham.

Dr Julie Mennell, Senior Lecturer on the BSc Applied Science and Forensic Investigation degree at Teesside, said: "The pupils are coming at a very interesting time because the University of Teesside is developing its forensic courses and will be offering major/minor combined degrees from this September in Forensic Investigation with Criminology, Psychology or Law."

Leila Elliott, Team Leader for the Teesside Chemical Initiative Science Education Unit, said: "We see the event as a golden opportunity for the Year 9 and Year 10 pupils to experience the excitement of science and gain a better understanding of its relevance to the work-place, be that a pharmaceutical company or a scene of crime investigation."

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