Super Science (1) - Zahrah's Stem Cells Research

Amazing advances are being seen as part of the CREST Award Scheme and these may not only help our students think about a future STEM career, but have a very positive impact in the classroom. 

First year Bablake GCSE pupil Zahrah Jahangir started her journey wanting to research stem cells in beauty creams and their role in helping people retain their youthful looks. She quickly became interested in their use in cancer treatments; she began by discussing her ideas with Mrs Marilyn Prowse (Chemistry), whose career included working in laboratories analysing blood cells, and then produced a plan to look at stem cells in school. Her outline plan was checked for safety and she also enlisted the help of Dr Emily Adams, who was a cancer researcher before joining Bablake this year as Physics technician. Miss Ruth Case (Biology technician) also sourced an animal bone which was so fresh that it was likely to have stem cells in it and researched a number of methods for seeing stem cells.

Miss Case sent the lamb femur to our Design Technology department, that carefully sliced the length so that Zahrah could reach the bone marrow - the most likely place to find the animal stem cells. She then made a smear slide from the bone marrow, and despite some healthy scepticism from experts, she was able to see the cells without using the dangerous stain. She was also able to build on the knowledge of Third year pupil Imogen Starling and use her technique of harnessing new technology in the form of an iPhone camera to take photos of her cells. Looking closely at the image illustrating this article, you could indeed see red blood cells, white blood cells and even one animal stem cell.

Miss Sam Holyman, who mentors CREST in the Main School said: “It is so exciting to push the frontiers of what is possible in a school lab and see the students collaborate so effectively with their peers as well as experts to create such a wonderful project. I am delighted with all the learning that has taken place in CREST, both by the students and the staff and am really looking forward to them showcasing their findings at the end of this term during their assessment."

The students may also use their CREST award as the 'skills' element at the same level of their Duke of Edinburgh award. To complete their projects, each complete experiments and research using the internet, text books and interviews with professionals; they then create a report to explain what they discover, while conveying their passion for science and engineering. This year we have 21 students from the Junior part of the Main School who are being assessed.

Footnote
CREST is a qualification administered by the British Science Association. The awards are designed for students to research an Engineering, Mathematics or science-based question that is of interest to them. Pupils may work on their own or in small groups, researching and completing their own experiments. They then communicate what they have found to an outside assessor from Create a Future at the end of the Spring term.

(Photography submitted by Miss Holyman.)