As research into bio-science and bio-technology continues to advance, the fruits of bio-research are increasingly applied across a wider and wider range of fields. Many people now hear the word bio- and instantly make the connection with DNA and genetic research. Certainly, the fundamentals of state-of-the-art gene therapy today fall under the heading of Applied Biology, but even a subject such as how to improve the taste of tofu can be an important subject for debate.
The number of topics addressed by such a far-reaching field can be limitless, therefore this course begins by asking each and every student to consider the following questions, “What does my body get from bread, and what does it get from rice?”, “In what way do fish and meat provide nourishment for my body?”, questions which are directly relevant to the students’ own lives. From there the course leads students to gradually deepen their understanding in the field until they begin to understand their surroundings as chemistry. Students reach a point where they naturally start to ask themselves questions about their immediate biological environment, such as “What makes plants grow?”, and “Why do plants die?” An appreciation of the fundamentals of biological activity which constitute the composition of matter, as well as a grasp of the basic workings of the natural environment is the launch-pad of applied biology, and an expanding interest in plants, animals, and micro-organisms, leads the student to a fuller understanding of the field as a whole. The course contains a number of different study-modules specially tailored to the interests of each and every student, includes a strong emphasis on practical training, and equips the student with the practical ability and all-round ‘feel’ for the subject which is so valued in the outside world.