Anti-malarial treatments come under the microscope at schools
Posted on 3 March 2011
Scientists from the Centre for Novel Agricultural Products (CNAP) at the University of York are running workshops explaining how CNAP’s Artemisia Project is helping improve the supply of anti-malarial treatments. The sessions give teenage pupils a unique insight into how science learned in the classroom is applied to real world problems.
It’s really important to give schools insight into the work that University scientists are doing to benefit society
Professor Dianna Bowles
The free workshop covers plant science, genetics and infectious diseases, and provides Key Stage 4 and 5 pupils with the chance to work with a powerful fluorescence microscope. The microscope is used to look at trichomes on the surface of Artemisia annua leaves – the clusters of glandular cells on the leaf surface that produce chemicals, including artemisinin, which is used to treat malaria.
After hosting a successful workshop for Year 10 and 11 pupils in February, Holmfirth High School has invited the University of York CNAP team back to host a further session on Friday, March 4.
Holmfirth High School pupil Laura Nunez-Mulder, aged 16, said: “It was really interesting to see the things we learned applied in real life, especially for such an important project. The best bit was using the really expensive microscope, as we could see things we’d never be able to see with our own equipment.”
The workshops involve a mixture of presentation, discussion and hands-on activities. Pupils learn about the problem of malaria and how CNAP is improving supplies of an anti-malarial drug from the medicinal herb Artemisia annua, using the latest genetic and analytical technologies.
Professor Dianna Bowles, CNAP Artemisia Research Project Co-director at the University of York, said: “It’s really important to give schools insight into the work that University scientists are doing to benefit society.”
For most pupils, the highlight of the workshop is examining plants using a fluorescence microscope, which is owned by the Royal Microscopical Society. The high cost of this advanced technology means it is normally unavailable in schools.
It gives pupils an insight into the world of science, as scientists on the CNAP Artemisia Project use a similar microscope to look at trichome density. More trichomes mean more artemisinin and this is one of the techniques scientists use to select plants for breeding high-yielding varieties from. However, the tiny trichomes are almost impossible to spot under an ordinary light microscope.
The fluorescence microscope allows pupils to easily see the tiny trichomes on the surface of the plants and assess their density. This is because the trichomes glow when lit with fluorescent light of a particular wave length, producing a strong contrast between the dark background and the brightly glowing plant glands.
Rachel George, a Science teacher at Holmfirth High School, said: “It was a fantastic opportunity for our pupils to experience the applications of biology in the real world. The pupils were thrilled to use equipment which they could normally only experience at University level.”
The CNAP workshop will be held at a number of other schools and colleges in March, including in Leeds, Northallerton, Castleford, Knaresborough and Stockton-on-Tees.
Notes to editors:
- The CNAP Artemisia Research Project is developing improved varieties of the medicinal plant Artemisia annu. This plant is currently the sole source of the leading anti malaria drug artemisinin but it only produces the drug in very low amounts. CNAP’s aim is to use the latest genetic techniques to accelerate and enhance traditional plant breeding and create new, non GM varieties of Artemisia with increased artemisinin yields. High-performing Artemisia hybrids are now being field-trialled in the major commercial growing regions of Africa and Asia. Visit www.york.ac.uk/org/cnap/artemisiaproject/
- CNAP is a research centre in the Department of Biology at the University of York. More information at www.york.ac.uk/org/cnap
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