South Africa Field Course

Hey guys!

My name is Jennifer, and I am a first year student here at The University of Manchester – studying ‘Life Sciences with Mandarin’. The great thing about choosing ‘Life Sciences’ in my first year is the amount of flexibility – it is so nice to have a course that understands that you are indecisive when deciding a specialism, and so lets you pick any of the optional modules that you want. This is a great way to help us decide what we actually want to switch to in our second year – an inevitable but sad time: all of us Life Scientists are so close and don’t want to leave each other! But is it exciting when another one of us finally decides on their new degree programme. As for me, I will be changing to ‘Zoology with Mandarin’! I have chosen this course due to the interesting modules in the upcoming years – especially ‘Conservation Biology’ and ‘Animal behaviour’ – the opportunity for exciting research in both the lab and the field. However, what really cemented the decision of Zoology in my mind was the field course I have just returned from – studying Animal Behaviour in Thabazimbi, South Africa!

The South Africa team 2016!

It was genuinely the best two weeks of my life. From waking up to a gorgeous sunrise every morning, to the daily treks in the bush with a tower of giraffes for company (yes, I googled the collective noun!) to gazing up at the stars in the evening, I had never been happier! Having exceedingly limited wifi and no city lights made me appreciate the natural world even more than I already did – I had never seen so many stars before in my life! We were staying on a private game farm called Thani-Zimbi, so as well as seeing loads of ostrich, baboons and zebras, we also learnt how to identify the many species of antelope and birds found here too. Other highlights included visiting Marakele Predator Centre (BABY TIGER CUBS!), admiring the Botswana border from the tops of the local mountains, and of course, Pilanesberg National Park. I was prepared to be blown away, but little prepared me for seeing a pride of lions suddenly appearing out of the trees – the male coming down to the watering hole to drink, or having the road blocked by two bull elephants walking right past us. It was definitely something special! Being 1m away from a herd of elephants with their tiny gorgeous babies, spotting rhinos in the distance, and seeing so many impala, wildebeest, zebra, giraffes – the list could go on! It definitely inspired me to pursue a career in conservation.

Marakele predator centre

Overlooking Botswana

I did not zoom in for this photo!

Pilanesbury National Park

However, this field course was not just about the elephant selfies. There was a lot of work to do both before and when we were here. In the weeks prior to the field course, we had 6 lectures on the concepts of experimental design, and the workings of various statistical programmes, such as Prism, SPSS and R. Understanding how to collect the right sort of data, and knowing how to write the correct code for R so the data can be analysed properly, are valuable skills which are essential for the field. This is one of the reasons why I loved this field course, as although the animals were an added bonus, the whole point was to develop the skills you need to be a scientist – and it may surprise many of you that a solid grasp of maths, statistics and programmes are highly desirable for future years, and even masters programmes. To think that at The University of Manchester we are learning these skills as first year students is really exciting!

Once in Africa we were also kept busy. Manchester field courses are unique in that they let you plan and carry out your very own research project from start to finish. It was a huge learning curve, but it was a great way to build your teamwork and organisation skills! I was intrigued by the jackal and primate tracks on an initial drive through the game park, and so I got a group together, and we were off!

The Trackers project group!

Our project looked into the changes of diversity of animal tracks with regards to location and time of day. This involved getting ourselves up and to walk through the bush every day (at 6am and 6pm), to 3 sites around the reserve that we had prepared via raking over the ground the previous time we visited – sites in the dense vegetation, open grasslands, and by the watering hole. We would record the number of species by identifying the new tracks present; rake the ground, and start again the next day! It was great fun, as we collected a lot of data and saw many animals on our wanderings. It was also exciting when, by the end of the week, we could gaze at the ground and could tell the difference between warthog and impala, waterbuck and blesbok tracks!

Scroll over the photos to view captions:

Marking out the field sites

Early morning wanderings

Data Collection

Zebra tracks!

The independence we had when carrying out the project (it was up to us to get up at 5am!), and the confidence I gained from presenting our results to the entire group, were also excellent skills to develop! We also had lectures and a field exam when we were there, but they were actually really fun, especially when your distractions were lurking giraffes and warthogs around the watering hole!

5am sunrise

Lecture distractions!

I have now been back in England a few days, and already missing the sun, people and animals! It was a fantastic experience, and I would urge you all to do it if you get the chance!

 

Jennifer

British Science Week 2016 (Day 5)

Hello! I’m Lucy, a first year Biology with Science and Society student at The University of Manchester.

The brilliance of biology is that it is underpinning to all elements of life; this ranges from the micro world of bacteria and viruses, to the macro level of climate and nutrition cycles. Everything can be explained in the language of biology. This is made very clear in our first year laboratory practicals! It is an amazing feeling to carry out procedures in the lab and understand what is happening because of your biological knowledge. The laboratory is where biological theory comes to life!

As part of the “Introduction to Experimental Biology” module, we are able to practice and develop our laboratory skills. I particularly enjoyed the “Manipulation of DNA” practical. This experiment involved working with E. coli, exploiting multiple natural biological processes in order to confer antibiotic resistance.

We first manipulated the bacteria through a process called transformation. This involved using a plasmid, as a vector. This is a special piece of genetically engineered circular DNA that contains the desired genes to be inserted into an organism.  Our pGLO plasmid contained the gene for Ampicillin resistance, and also a gene called the Green Florescent Protein (GFP). The GFP gene exhibits bioluminescence and was used to indicate if the transformation had been successful. It was an awesome feeling, to examine the transformed E. coli under UV light, and watch it glow green, knowing that the experiment worked. I had successfully made some bacteria antibiotic resistant!

Next, we exploited the process of bacterial conjugation, which is the transfer of genetic material from one bacterium to another via special structures called pili. During this experiment, we investigated the efficiency of E. coli to transfer genetic material in different conditions, using a liquid culture and solid surface. This was so that we could identify the type of pili that the E. coli contained! We transferred the bacteria onto agar plates that contained different types of antibiotic and left them to grow. We then counted the number of bacterial colonies (you needed a sharp eye for this!) in order to identify if antibiotic resistance had been transferred.

Counting E.coli colonies on agar plates!

This practical enabled me to practise highly useful skills in the field of biology, such a Gel Electrophoresis and pipette handling (which isn’t as simple as it sounds; it definitely has a certain knack to it!). You spend a lot of time reading about these things when studying so it feels good to “put a face to a name” sort of thing.

Hover over photos to view captions:

Set up of Gel Electrophoresis

Pipetting!

I also found the laboratory practical very relevant to modern day society.With increasing interest in the field of genetically modified crops and the growing issue of antibiotic resistance, I felt like I was acquiring key skills and knowledge in order for me to progress in the scientific community and be a part in resolving these very real issues. I can’t wait for my next lab session!

Thanks for reading! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading our experiments this week for British Science Week 🙂

Lucy

For more insight into general first year as a first year student at The University of Manchester, watch our ‘A week in the life of a first year student’ series on the Manchester Life Scientists YouTube:

 

British Science Week 2016 (Day 2)

Hey everyone!

For those of you who don’t already know, Manchester is the European City of Science this year, so it’s pretty apt that one of the experiments that really stuck in my mind here at university was all about Manchester!

My second year Research Skills Module (RSM) in Urban Biodiversity and Conservation was all about investigating the surprisingly wide array of biodiversity found within Manchester. We spent the first two weeks exploring different aquatic and terrestrial systems around the city, learning about the different techniques environmental consultants and field biologists use on a daily basis.

The joggers and dog walkers definitely gave us a few funny looks as a herd of students turned up in Platt Fields Park in our waders, carrying nets and buckets; and every day we were out one of the locals would come up and ask what us odd looking bunch were up to. One particularly memorable moment (though perhaps for the wrong reasons!) came from our trip to Salford Quays, where the weather took a turn for the worse, even by Manchester’s standards. Suffice to say, some gale force winds had me extremely close to being blown head first into the Manchester Ship Canal, an experience I’m glad I avoided!

After examining the effects of historical pollution for the first two weeks, control shifted to us for the second two. We were given the freedom to choose any site we wished in Manchester to go and investigate, carry out a habitat survey, and then devise a conservation strategy for that area. For the first time in our degree we were given complete and utter control of an experiment, and it gave a real taste of what working as a scientist full time would be like.

Our group decided to survey nearby Stretford Meadows, and fortunately this time the weather decided to take pity on us, with some of the sunniest days that year. We looked at the range of biodiversity there, both plant and animals, and when it came to collecting samples my friends were greatly amused by me running round a field with a giant net in my efforts to catch some butterflies; it’s a lot more difficult that you would think!

We carried out a whole range of activities on our site, many of which people wouldn’t associate with biologists. These ranged from researching the history of the site over the past century, to getting in touch with local rangers to find out about the site management. We catalogued the different plant and animal species we’d found on site, and it gave me a huge amount of respect for taxonomists, as it’s certainly not an easy job! We then presented our findings and discussed how we would go about managing the site in order to conserve the biodiversity.

It was definitely one of the most memorable months I had at university. It was really nice to interact with members of the public away from campus and to discuss what we were doing, and it was really interesting to explore other sides of science that we don’t normally get to, such as environmental law. All in all it was a fantastic experience, and definitely confirmed I’m someone who enjoys being out there in the field and not cooped up in a lab all day!

Happy Science Week, and best of luck with summer exams!

Sean

For more information about the Urban Biodiversity field course in Manchester, please visit: http://www.ls.manchester.ac.uk/undergraduate/teachingandlearning/fieldcourses/urbanbiodiversity/ 

British Science Week 2016

Hello everyone!

It’s British Science Week (14^th-20^th March)!  So this week, we’re celebrating science, technology and engineering all across the university.

To kick start the week, I thought I would tell you about a science experiment that sticks in my mind, which I carried out for my Research Skills Module during my second year of studying Zoology at The University of Manchester. I carried out this experiment during the field course in Alpine Biodiversity and Forest Ecology, which took place in the Italian Carnic Alps. As this field course takes place in the summer after second year, I doubt much has been said about this field course on the student blog in the past! So I’ll take now as the perfect opportunity to tell you a little more about this.

The view from my early morning runs!

I will admit that I was a little nervous before setting off for 2 weeks secluded up in the mountains with people I didn’t know very well. I didn’t have a clue what to expect! But it actually ended up being a brilliant experience; I made some great friends, and I really made the most of the opportunity to take in the wonderful wildlife and biodiversity of the Alps. Waking up to this every morning definitely wasn’t a bad thing! —>

 

 

 

 

The aim of these field courses is to develop your research skills, which enable you to become confident and independent in carrying out your very own scientific investigation! This concept was very overwhelming at first, as we had the freedom to do a project about almost anything! After a few days of exploring the area, I still wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. It wasn’t until I first came across the alpine salamander (Salamandra atra), that I realised I wanted to spend more time with these lovely little creatures.

Salamander selfie

I collected a number of salamanders from the field and returned them to the lab where I created an artificial environment for them. For my experiment, I measured the effect that different temperatures had on anti-predatory behaviour of these amphibians (i.e. how long it took for the salamander to run away from my poking finger). I videoed the trials so I could by calculate the speed of the salamanders from the distance they had travelled and how long it took them (Speed = Distance/Time). And because I finished my trials early, I got to carry it out on some adorable baby common toads (Bufo bufo) as well.

Set up of my experiment

As well as learning how to construct and carry out my own experiment, I also developed my animal handling skills. To take an animal away from its natural habitat for any period of time is a rather stressful experience, so the well-being of the animals was well and truly in my hands. Before collecting the amphibians, I did lots of research about their preferred natural habitat, so I created the perfect little artificial home for them, making conditions as close to their natural environment as I could. I also made sure I completed my trials almost immediately after collection, so that they were in the lab for a very minimal amount of time and could be released back to their natural environment as soon as possible!

I got some nice but also rather confusing results, as the salamanders travelled significantly faster at warmer compared to ambient temperatures whereas the opposite effect was seen in toads, with a significant difference in speeds at cooler temperatures compared to ambient! But at the end of the day, it didn’t matter what your results were, even if they weren’t significant at all! As long as you could write a decent report at the end of it, explaining a possible reason for the pattern in your results! That shows that you are able to use scientific thinking to explain your results, and therefore well on your way to becoming a competent scientist.  Experiments don’t always go as you had planned – but that’s not a bad thing. In fact, that’s just part of science! If the reality is different to what you expect, it could be telling you something very important!

This instance shows just one example of an opportunity to carry out interesting experiments as a Life Sciences student at The University of Manchester. We’ll be hearing about other students experiments all this week, so watch this space!

Happy Science Week!

Alina 🙂

To see the events going on at The University of Manchester for British Science Week, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/967829729936888/

For more information about our field courses, please visit: http://www.ls.manchester.ac.uk/undergraduate/teachingandlearning/fieldcourses/

Eleanor’s Final Year Blog: My First Experiment

Hi guys,

This week is British Science week, and you might have seen the hashtag #my1stexperiment going around. It’s a week focused on celebrating science and getting young children to explore it. To get in the spirit, I thought I’d tell you how I got into science in the first place.

I’m going to be honest I can’t really remember when I first became interested Biology, as a child I was always into nature and spent my weekends in the woods with my sister catching frogs and bugs. I had loads of pets, rabbits, guinea pigs, stick insects and I was a complete and utter know-it-all, I wanted to know as much as I could about the world around me. As for my first experiment, I have a feeling it had something to do with growing cress on a cotton wool pad in year 3.

As I got older I got even more into science, careers wise I thought about choosing medicine or Veterinary school, but having two doctors for parents put me off medicine, and I fainted when I saw a Great Dane get neutered on my week of work experience at the vets. In the end I chose biology because I was good at it, I liked it and because I never got over the neutering incident.

It turns out that Biology is a know-it-all’s subject, I have a memory like a sponge and I could reel off facts about living things for hours even though I can’t remember what I did on Tuesday night (but I think that can be excused as it was St. Paddy’s day). I don’t think you really know what biology is until you actually go to uni, but I guess that is the case with any degree. School gives you the basics, explaining photosynthesis and basic anatomy. Uni shows you that biology is the study of everything from animals, plant, bugs, to bacteria, proteins and genes you name it I’ve studied it. It is a subject that broadens your mind and makes you think in a completely different way, and if you are coming here to study it you are very lucky, you’ve got a brilliant three years ahead of you.

And now I’m here in my final year, last week I had the last lecture of my undergraduate degree, I’m finishing up my project, and I had my last shift as a student ambassador. I was always told uni would fly by, but I don’t think I quite believed it until now. As for my first experiment, the cress experiment obviously had an impact on me because I’ve specialised in Plant Science and Microbiology. I even have plants in my room at uni.

I named him Carl, and I am very surprised he is not dead yet