A team of scientists and researchers from Queensland University of Technology, as well as popular ABC broadcaster and presenter of The New Inventors Bernie Hobbs, will descend on Kingaroy next week for Bio-Tech in the Bush, bringing science to life for school students and locals to celebrate National Science Week.
Dr Kerry Manton, a senior researcher at QUT's Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI), said she had been working with Kingaroy State High School for a while through the Science in Schools program, and this year wanted to bring even more of a taste of science to the town.
"I wanted to show students here the different career opportunities and the latest developments in science research, and for it to be a fun, interactive experience that the whole community could get involved with," said Dr Manton.
The major public events during the week will be Science at the RSL on Thursday night, and live DNA extractions and transformations on Thursday afternoon, both at Kingaroy RSL.
The Science at the RSL event will be hosted by Bernie Hobbs, a multi-award-winning writer for the ABC and QUT alumnus with a background in medical science and teaching.
"The DNA extractions and transformations will be done by members of the public, and the DNA which is extracted will be put into a necklace, so people can go away with a live, visible representation of their own DNA," said Dr Manton.
"The Science in the RSL will be a really interactive and informative night with some of QUT's best scientists talking about different issues in the field at the moment."
Genetically modified crops, wound healing, road safety, maths and more are among the subjects that will be covered during the week, both at Science in the RSL, and during presentations at Kingaroy State High School all week long.
"Steven Langton, the Head of Science at the school, and I were already in touch through work I have done with the school in the past, and we thought this is a great way to give science some exposure," said Ms Manton.
"For students thinking about going to University, and parents who want to know more, this is a great opportunity to get informed about the world of science research and what's going on at QUT."
Science at the RSL will be held at the Kingaroy RSL, 126 Kingaroy Street, in the Tobruk Room on Thursday August 21 from 6.30 - 8.30pm. The DNA extractions will be held in the same location from 3.30pm onwards.
Static displays highlighting QUT's research will be on display in Shopping World from Monday August 18 to Friday August 22.
Media Contact: Sharon Thompson, QUT media officer - 3138 4494 or sharon.thompson@qut.edu.au
**Hi-res pic of Bernie available for media
