The resource pack, written by Peter Freeland, contains 50 practical investigations designed to introduce aspects of applied biology and biotechnology. The topics are wide ranging, including enzymes, food manufacture and fermentation technology, together with health education, plant propagation, pest control, waste...

These reliable practicals from SAPs allow students to practice a range of skills, such as microscopy skills, serial dilutions, plotting and using standard curves and developing mathematical skills.  These investigations were designed for students following a Scottish Highers course but they are equally useful for...

This brief resource provides five ideas for investigating the effects of eutrophication on aquatic plant life. Each activity is based on setting up a range of solutions with increasing amounts of minerals and following the growth of aquatic plants. The resource offers suggestions of how the mineral content could be...

This resource, from the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (ASAB), allows students to investigate the behaviour of ants, and includes:

• Background information about British ants.
• A step-by-step approach to the collection and maintenance of some British ants with particular reference to...

The SAPS ELISA kit for Botrytis has been developed as a low cost kit to bring practical immunology into the classroom. The monoclonal antibody in the kit detects Botrytis, a fungal pathogen. Botrytis infects plant material (such as strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes and flowers) and is of considerable importance...

In this activity from Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS), students investigate what causes a Venus’ Fly Trap to shut. These experiments are related to a series of investigations that Darwin carried out as part of his work on evolution and adaptation and background...

In this activity students discover how a Tanzanian initiative reduced iodine deficiency diseases, and look at lessons the UK can learn from the example of this African nation. According to recent reports, up to 70% of British young people do not take in enough iodine. Iodine deficiency causes goiter and brain...

This Catalyst article looks into Alzheimer’s disease which affects around 465 000 people in the UK, with the number of sufferers is growing as the population ages. It is a form of dementia that causes cell death in the brain and leads to memory loss and mood swings. The article investigates whether the presence of...

This resource was funded by the UK Space Agency and developed by ESERO-UK and CIEC Promoting Science. It is based upon the quest to discover more about the solar system through space projects such as the European Space Agency’s Aurora programme, and NASA’s Curiosity mission seeking to gather evidence of life on the...

All life forms on Earth are based on organic biochemistry. This activity requires students to analyse an unknown soil sample (just recovered from a space mission to another planet!) and look for signs of possible indicators for life. Curriculum areas covered:

• Cell biology
• Food tests, including...

This Catalyst article looks at a newspaper report, which carried the headline “It’s life, but not as we know it”, following NASA’s supposed discovery of a ‘second form of life’. The scientific paper, published by the eminent journal Science, even created widespread speculation about the existence of extra-...

Izzy the Inspector is a colourfully illustrated resource which looks at plant diseases and their causes. The booklet introduces causes of disease in plants including bacteria, viruses, insects, fungi and nematodes. This is done through activities such as picture to word matching, colouring, and word searches. There...

This Catalyst article looks at the career and interests of Dr Gareth Fraser, who has been interested in marine biology since he was a child. Dr Fraser describes how his interest is leading to surprising possibilities in the field of...

A Catalyst article about John Snow who discovered the cause of cholera, how it spreads and how to avoid it. Snow's work is what is now referred to as epidemiology and his persistent investigative work and resulting publications resulted in health authorities using his findings.

This article is from Catalyst...