The ‘Big Biology Day’, which was a one-day, free-to-attend occasion, was used by the East Anglia Branch of the Society of Biology as the launch pad for the second National Biology Week.
This year’s Big Biology Day was the second such event, held for the first time in 2012. It was designed to give people of all ages the chance to get ‘hands-on’ with biology, understand the excitement of biological research and to see for themselves just how interesting the life sciences world can be. Over 1,000 people attended the day and joined in with a range of family-focused activities, demonstrations and quizzes.
Jane Osbourn, Site Leader and Vice President of R&D at MedImmune in Cambridge, commented:
“Our team of volunteers hosted a stand that focussed on the science behind our antibody display technology to find new antibody medicines. Using craft materials such as pipe cleaners, Velcro pads and plastic tubes, they helped our visitors to make models showing how to find antibodies which bind to disease specific targets, such as those found on cancer cells. MedImmune is committed to supporting science education and encourages its employees to cultivate the link between science and medicine within the wider community. We were delighted to take part in the Big Biology Day and to demonstrate how knowledge of biology can lead to development of new medicines and patient benefit.”
Ian Harvey, Head of Biology at Hills Road Sixth Form College, and Education Officer for the East Anglia Branch of the Society of Biology commented: “The Big Biology Day was very successful in attracting a wide cross-section of Cambridge residents to learn about the biological world in which they live. It builds on the reputation of Cambridge as a leader in reaching out to the community and helping the public to understand about the value of science in everyday life. We are immensely grateful to MedImmune for sending a team of practising scientists to demonstrate what fun biology can be and to support our educational work.”