New centre aims to broaden genetics awareness

The new Gene Technology Access Centre (GTAC), which opened its doors in Melbourne today, aims to "blast away" some of the mythology of the scientific enterprise, according to one of its founders.

GTAC, a joint venture between the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, the University of Melbourne and the adjacent University High School, was set up to bring molecular biology and biotechnology to high school students.

Inspired by a visit WEHI director Prof Suzanne Cory made to the Dolan DNA Learning Centre at the world-renowned Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory 10 years ago, GTAC is an educational facility where high school students and their teachers can learn about gene technology and molecular biology in a hands-on environment.

"With this inspiring facility, GTAC has been given the opportunity to spread its wings and fulfil its potential," said Cory at the opening.

Students work with young scientists -- PhD students and other scientists from the University of Melbourne's Department of Microbiology and Immunology, WEHI and other local institutes -- who not only teach them about DNA, genes and biology, but also pass on their enthusiasm for research.

"The teachers and the students are excited and enthused to work with the world class scientists they normally wouldn't have access to," said University High School principal Bronwyn Valente.

The program started in the mid-1990s as a series of summer DNA workshops to bring biology teachers up to date with modern biology in an intensive series of lectures from prominent scientists coupled with practical experience in the new technologies. But difficulties in transferring that experience to the typically ill-equipped high school laboratory led to the concept of a centrally located facility for students to come to from other schools and regions.

Since 2000, the University High School has provided facilities for classes in its biology laboratories when students are not using them. Leading the program is former head of the school's VCE program Brian Stevenson.

And since the new building was completed in April, some 1200 students in years 9, 10 and 12 as well as 200 teachers have had the opportunity to use the facility -- in fact it is booked out until the end of the school year.

In addition to supporting curricular requirements for high school biology, the centre has another function in demystifying science and introducing issues of ethics to students and the wider community. The facility will take over the popular GenETHICS competition, an annual event allowing students to voice their opinions on an ethical dilemma of gene technology, formerly run by the Gene CRC, and plans to offer public lectures and professional workshops and short courses to politicians and others with a need to be up to date on the technology.

"GTAC is blasting away some of the mythology of the scientific enterprise," said Stevenson.

It's one of just a handful of facilities in Australia to offer hands-on experience to students -- another is CSIRO's Discovery Centre in Canberra. But the Victorian government is funding similar centres focusing on environmental science and space science.

Funding for the AUD$6.3 million project was obtained from the state government through its Science in Schools initiative, as well as from philanthropic organisations including the Colonial Foundation, Pratt Foundation and Dame Elisabeth Murdoch.

GTAC was officially opened today by Victorian education minister Lynne Kosky and treasurer John Brumby.