| Posted: March 12, 2007 |
Singapore is arming teachers with educational nanotechnology kits |
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(Nanowerk News) One of the problems with new technologies advancing so quickly is that the classroom can be left a long way behind. Recognizing this, Singapore's Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) is arming teachers with new tools to revitalize their teaching of science in the classrooms.
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IBN has launched a series of educational Kits to help secondary school and junior college teachers inject cutting-edge concepts in their laboratory lessons. Aimed at students between the ages of 15 and 19, the IBN Nano-Bio Kits feature interactive experiments and lessons on practical applications in nanobiotechnology, drug delivery and medical devices.
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The first three Kits in the range include the Biological Fuel Cell Kit, the Thermo-responsive Hydrogel Kit, and the Dielectrophoresis Chip Kit, and they come equipped with lesson plans, background readings, experimental components and instructions, as well as worksheets and quizzes. Teachers are also provided with worksheet answers, experimental instructional videos, and slides to help them plan lesson modules based on the scientific topics relevant to each Kit.
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Biological Fuel Cell Kit
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This Kit demonstrates how biochemical energy may be converted into electricity using enzymes immobilized on nanostructured particles. Biofuel cells are a ‘green’ alternative to conventional energy sources, as they run on sugar solutions and are emission- free. Students can assemble their own biofuel cell with the materials provided in the Kit.
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Thermo-Responsive Hydrogel Kit
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This Kit shows how a thermo-sensitive material is synthesized, and how the rate of diffusion of particles within the material is altered at different temperatures. Practical applications include controlled and targeted drug delivery systems for disease treatment. Students can synthesize a thermo-responsive hydrogel through polymerization, and study its behavior at different temperatures. They can also observe how particles diffuse through the hydrogel.
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Dielectrophoresis Chip Kit
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This Kit illustrates how cells behave under dielectrophoresis (DEP). DEP is commonly used in numerous biological applications for cell manipulation, separation and characterization. Students can fabricate their own DEP chips using basic photolithography techniques. They will also be able to control the movement of cells on their DEP chips.
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