Genesis R&D Educational Programme
Genesis Research & Development has developed a wide-ranging educational programme that involves students practically in many of the biological, commercial, regulatory and legal aspects of biotechnology.
The programme currently involves self-selected students from three different high schools participating in three 'intakes' through the year. The programme focuses on an investigation into novel uses for products from the flax plant (New Zealand Harakeke and North American flax) and the implications of genetically modifying North American flax for particular purposes. The programme has been developed to specifically support the senior biology curriculum.
All the students from a senior biology class of a participating school visit the Genesis site for an introduction and tour of the facilities and then students self-select to participate in the remainder of the programme, which consists of six one hour workshops followed by one week of hands-on experiments during the school holiday.
The six workshops are held at the Genesis premises after school hours over successive weeks. Topics that are covered include:
- An introduction to the programme goals
- A discussion about the biology of flax, including Maori spiritual and cultural values of flax
- Investigating commercial opportunities: ideas for a product, partnership issues, business plans
- Regulatory issues around genetic modification: the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Act and applications to the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA)
- Containment issues
- Intellectual property issues
These workshops are student driven. Each week the students are given homework to guide their thinking about the following week's workshop, and asked to prepare a short presentation (often in pairs or small groups).
The programme concludes with the students spending one week of their holidays working alongside scientists at the Genesis facilities. During this week they learn how to carry out routine molecular biology techniques, and put some of the theory that they have learned at school and as part of the Flax Programme into practice.
