MRC National Institute for Medical Research, London
Science for Health
Teachers professional development day - report
12 July 2010
The format was four after-school lectures on developing rapidly topics that we hoped teachers would find interesting and would be a source for enrichment activities in A-level courses. Thirty one schools on our mailing list responded and we were gratified to receive 44 visitors on the day who participated with great enthusiasm, asking incisive questions and raising many interesting issues for further discussion.
The life sciences are developing at a phenomenal pace. Professional scientists find themselves constantly struggling with new concepts and starting new initiatives in their work every five or ten years. This event aimed to transmit something of these exciting developments to the teaching profession directly.
The Director of NIMR, Professor Jim Smith, welcomed the visitors and outlined the character of NIMR as a collaborative, interdisciplinary research institute.
Imaging and cell biology
Dr Tom Carter began the proceedings with a talk on “New approaches to cell biology” in which he illustrated how new microscopic techniques (fluorescence, total internal reflection, confocal) have revolutionised modern biology. Dynamic aspects of cell behaviour and the role of specific proteins in living cells have now become extraordinarily accessible through the use of fluorescent reagents that enable scientists to observe specific cellular components at high resolution. We now have unprecedented insights into processes such as protein secretion and organelle dynamics. A central place in the subject is occupied by the Green Fluorescent protein of the Pacific Jelly Fish, which can be used to tag specific proteins and visualised in living cells. In a variety of ways, Tom illustrated the power of fluorescent microscopy, for studying single protein molecules in cells, important secretory processes, measurement of calcium in sub-cellular compartments and interactions between proteins.
High-throughput sequencing
Dr Michael Gilchrist described facets of the “Recent progress in molecular biology” concentrating on the huge impact of ultra-high-throughput sequencing technology performed by random sequencing on a glass slide pioneered by Illumina, the American biotechnology company. This is being used to map single-nucleotide polymorphisms in different individuals with extraordinary rapidity. From this a new understanding of the genetic basis of chronic diseases of later life is beginning to emerge. While some people like the idea that it is possible for us all to get to know our “personal genome”, Michael emphasised that the information emerging was complicated and of general importance. Diseases (such as type 2 diabetes) are caused by combinations of twenty or more polymorphisms; a development of uncertain significance at the moment. However, with the information flooding in and sequencing technology developing rapidly, it seems likely important developments in understanding these diseases will occur quite soon.
Stem cells
Dr Robin Lovell-Badge discussed the potential of stem cells for refurbishing the human body. In a review covering the major lines of research on stem cells, Robin explored the relative potential of embryonic stems cells, mesenchymal stem cells and reprogrammed cells for creating cell lines that could be used therapeutically to replace dysfunctional tissues. Recent successes include the use of adult stem cells (such as mesenchymal cells from bone marrow) to regenerate a new trachea and knee cartilages. However, these types of cells are unlikely to be useful for dealing with dysfunctional organs that form during embryonic stages (such as pancreas or motor neurons). Embryonic stem cells appear to have the potential to solve many problems, but it may be some time before they are used in serious clinical trials. An alternative approach is to reprogram epithelial cells of the patient using viral vectors carrying a set of four transcription factors. This is a remarkable demonstration but it will require considerable efforts to ensure that any procedure that emerges to be efficacious and safe.
Memory
In a talk entitled “How the brain stores memories”, Dr Tim Bliss described the landmarks in progress to an understanding of the physical basis of memory. The story started with the evidence derived from the patient HM that demonstrated long-term memory resides in the hippocampus while memory required for doing automatic tasks without conscious control were located elsewhere. Tim reviewed the classification of memory into its declarative and non-declarative components. The declarative component which includes “episodic memory” (eg. of autobiographical events) is located in the hippocampus and indeed has parallels in birds. Going on to discuss the physical basis of memory, Tim asked how the hippocampus could store memories. The answer seems to depend on four important elements
- Neurons provide the computing facility of the brain with extraordinary adaptations for making stupendous numbers of connections with other neurons
- Neurons are equipped with dendritic spines that make contact with axons of other neurons through synapses
- Synaptic responses can be evoked by electrical stimulation of axons
- Memories are formed when synaptic connections are strengthened by greater stimulation (Long-Term Potentiation or LTP). In fact, it was the speaker who with a Norwegian colleague, Terje Lømo, demonstrated LTP for the first time in 1973.
© MRC National Institute for Medical Research
The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA
Top of page