Learn about our research as explained by our undergraduate students.
The Department of Biochemistry teaches two types of students:
Undergraduates learn about biochemistry that has already been discovered.
Postgraduates start to do research projects themselves and discover new things about biochemistry.
As part of their study, our third-year undergraduates learn about some of the research that postgrads do in the department, including:
- Gene therapy for rare brain disease
- How mussels might be able to survive climate change
- How cancer works
- How creatures survive being frozen
- Gene editing using CRISPR-Cas9
The undergrads explain this research to high school students around Dunedin. They also talk about what biochemistry is, and what it's like to study it at Otago.
Here are some of their presentations (videos, handouts, and posters).
Studying biochemistry at university
Gene therapy for Batten Disease - Protein structure - Green-lipped mussels and climate change
Studying biochemistry at university - Breast cancer research - How creatures survive being frozen
Breast cancer research - PCR and gel electrophoresis - Studying biochemistry
What is biochemistry? - Studying biochemistry - How creatures survive being frozen - Studying brain diseases - Growing a brain on a dish - Crispr-Cas9 gene editing
CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing - What is biochemistry? - Careers with a biochem degree (handout)
Download and read the CRISPR - Biochemistry - Careers handout.
Then take this Kahoot quiz based on the handout.
Making ryegrass more nutritious for sheep and cows - Research into rare genetic diseases - Student life Q and A (poster)
Download and read the Ryegrass - Genetic diseases poster.
Then take this Kahoot quiz based on the poster.
Gene expression - The function of mRNA vaccines (handout)
Download and read the Gene expression - mRNA handout.
Cancer (poster)
Download and read the Cancer poster.
Return to the main Otago Biochemistry high school resources page here