Friday 14th October 2016
On Friday 14th October 2016, Jessica Teeling and her PhD student Paul Ibbett, hosted a ‘neuroscience-focussed’ lab visit for six students and their teacher, Chris Pickard, from the science department of Peter Symonds 6th form College. This annual event is part of a Wellcome Trust funded Exsite programme, where students get an opportunity to perform a real experiment and interpret the results with a scientist at the University of Southampton (see for more details here and here). Earlier in the week, the students were given a ‘mini lecture’ on the structure and function of the retina and the role of different cell types that make up this part of the central nervous system. 
Over the next two days, they worked in small groups, and stained retinal tissue for blood vessels and immune cells using fluorescence antibodies. During the visit to CNS inflammation group, they analysed their tissue using a fluorescent microscope to reveal the complex network of cells that make up the retina. In addition, they has an opportunity to dissect an eye and isolate the lens and the retina, thanks to Neil Smyth and Ellie who helped out dissecting the delicate neural tissue. Finally, in a workshop from Delphine Boche the students were able to see brain tissue from Alzheimer’s disease.
All in all, a very stimulating morning, with lots of energy from our 6th form students and their teacher Chris, and team work from academics and students in Biological Sciences in FNES and Clinical Neurosciences from FoM.
Are our 6th form student the next generation neuroscientist? We certainly hope so!
