School pupils swap holidays for science placements

Four budding students from local secondary schools have spent the summer carrying out research in the School of Biology.

Samantha MacFarlane (Bell Baxter) and Claire Scott (St Leonards) worked with Dr Kevin Laland, studying the behaviour and learning ability of starlings, while Andrew Logan (Bell Baxter) and Zong Guo (St Leonards) worked with Dr Rona Ramsay on the biochemistry of fat production.

At the end of their projects, the students were invited to the Royal Museum, Edinburgh to present their results and meet scientists and other students from all over Scotland.

The research projects were funded by competitive bursaries awarded by the Nuffield Foundation. The awards provide a small weekly salary to the students to work in research laboratories for up to six weeks of the summer holidays.

ENDS