Last week, our Grade 10 Physical Sciences and Life Sciences students enjoyed an inspirational talk by Professor Jeremy Simpson, Dean of Science at University College Dublin. His presentation highlighted how mistakes can sometimes lead to the most remarkable scientific discoveries. He also introduced the students to the prestigious UCD Summer School programme, which some of their peers attended in Dublin this past July.
Talk summary: One jellyfish, two proteins, three Nobel Prize winners – the story that changed biomedical research forever.
This medium-to-advanced lecture told the fascinating story of how three scientists, working across vastly different research fields over a period of 40 years, discovered and characterised the “green fluorescent protein” from the Pacific jellyfish. Professor Simpson explained how scientific breakthroughs are sometimes made by chance, and how the natural world still holds many surprises waiting to be uncovered.
Students were able to appreciate how basic scientific discoveries can be transformed into essential tools that underpin major advancements in biomedical science. In particular, they learnt how this research has enabled scientists to explore the inner workings of living human cells in ways that were previously unimaginable.
