Dunman Secondary's Life Sciences Learning and Research Centre offers sophisticated equipment that you won't find in other secondary schools.

Fuelling a demand for discovery

"We've conducted several workshops on topics related to the environmental and life sciences for teachers and students, all of which were very well received," explains Mdm Erlis Abdul Manaf, a Chemistry teacher who serves as one of the Centre's team members. The Centre also offers customised workshops based on the particular request of schools in the East Zone.

Workshops are usually spread over two half-days to meet the participants' packed after-school schedules. The sessions span the basic to the complex, with topics such as 'UV and Me', 'Forensic Science', 'Exploring Microbes' and 'Genes and Genetics'.

Most of the workshops are aimed at the secondary level, but 'Enzymes and DNA' is one that introduces primary school pupils to the 'magic' of biochemical compounds and the building blocks of life. According to Mdm Erlis, the Centre will develop more workshops for younger students in the future, thanks to a growing interest in the life sciences.

At the East Zone Enviro-Life Sciences Symposium, Telok Kurau Secondary shows how everyday items can be used creatively, and bagged the Best Decorated Booth prize in the process.

"The laboratory at our Centre is stocked with sophisticated equipment not normally found in secondary schools," says Mdm Erlis. Most other schools have at most a couple of micropipettes (a tool for measuring and handling minute liquid samples). So to conduct more in-depth research work, students flock to the Centre where they can use a spectrophotometer to measure the absorbency rate of a substance or carry out experiments in the sterile environment of a laminar flow hood cabinet.

"Some schools have programmes designed to stretch their students beyond the textbook," adds Mdm Erlis. St. Patrick's School, for instance, has used the laboratory to hold classes in microbiology.

Other collaborations help build bridges between the levels. The school joins hands with Victoria Junior College for an annual Forensic Science Challenge. To reach out to would-be young scientists, Mdm Erlis shares that Dunman Secondary School has "a buddy scheme where some of our Sec 3 students are paired with primary school students interested in research."

Chongzheng Primary pupils bring home the point that water is very precious - so don't waste a drop.

To make science even sexier, there are nationwide events such as the East Zone Enviro-Life Sciences Symposium. The annual Symposium took place for the third time on 14 November 2009 with the theme: Celebrating Possibilities in the Life Sciences & the Environment.

Nearly a thousand participants thronged the school to show off their latest research projects and be inspired by those of their peers. In the competitive segment, the host school clinched the Life Sciences award for the secondary school division, while Springfield Secondary took home the Environmental Sciences Award. St. Stephen's School and MacPherson Primary School grabbed the respective titles in the primary school category.

Students showcase the results of their research

Research is rewarding: Life Sciences award winners Ashreya, Gim Hwee, Rachita and teacher-in-charge Mdm Erlis.

The award-winning team from Dunman Secondary, comprising Sec 3A classmates Ashreya M Venkatesh and Rachita Rana, with Sec 4G schoolmate Chia Gim Hwee, chose a pragmatic research topic.

"We had to make sure the materials were readily available, and we also had to limit the variables," recounts Rachita. Seeking to test the hypothesis that repeated heating of microwaveable containers will not have negative effects on microbial indicators, namely, yeast and E. coli bacteria, the team made extensive use of the lab's equipment.

"We used the autoclave machine and laminar flow hood cabinet so that there was no contamination," explains Gim Hwee. "The spectrophotometer also helped to control the number of bacteria," adds Ashreya.

Money plants cannot thrive in an alkaline environment, say Environmental Sciences award winners from MacPherson Primary, Bernice and Parveen.

Taking a different tack was Team H2Overs from MacPherson Primary School. Instead of sticking to the lab, Pri 5/1 classmates Bernice Cheng and Parveen Kaur went 'MacGyver' with humble syringes and pots to determine if ornamental plants could survive in alkaline conditions. Using tips gleaned from the Internet, the pair designed an experiment that compared the growth of one money plant that had detergent added to its water and another which floated in tap water.

A well-written report and a brilliant performance during a verbal grilling by a panel of judges sealed their win. "The girls were asked some difficult questions but they did not freeze up," beams teacher-in-charge Mdm Noor Aishah Abu Bakar of MacPherson Primary. "I am so proud of them!"

Would anyone from the winning teams consider a career in scientific research? It's a firm yes for two, a maybe from another two, and a definite no from the last member. But in science, even negative results in an experiment can be a sign of success. So no matter where their paths lead them, it's certain that the Centre is equipping students with the ingenuity and rigour to find solutions to whatever questions they encounter in life.