Potential scientists of tomorrow were able to experience for themselves just what it’s like to train for a foundation degree at Kent Science Park, and what it is like working in a commercial Lab during a school visit.

The Year 12 students from Fort Pitt Grammar School for Girls in Medway, who are studying for their ‘AS’ levels, met the scientists and got a flavour for working in state-of-the-art laboratories.

The students toured the recently opened Kent Science Resource Centre and saw for themselves the facilities on offer which provide foundation degree level training opportunities for local residents eager to start a career in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. The Centre has also been recognised as an important part of efforts in Swale to bridge the skills gap. While at the Centre each of the students was able to successfully undertake a workplace simulation, setting up an experiment to extract enzymes from mung beans to record the ph levels, requiring investigation, measurement and recording the results.

This was followed by a visit to Vivo-MEDICA, a company, which is developing technologies to assess drug safety. Using heart cells grown from tissue culture, rather than animals, the team at Vivo-MEDICA are able to assess the potential side effects of drugs by measuring the electrical activity of the cells when placed on a micro-electrode array.

The company’s technology has major implications for the pharmaceutical industry when it comes to drug safety. By refining the drug testing process it will enable the industry to reduce and replace the need for animal testing.

“We are always delighted to welcome students from across Kent who are studying science and considering a career in the industry,” said James Speck, Site Director at Kent Science Park, adding: “There is nothing better than seeing science in action to really inspire people, and here at the Park we are lucky to have many such people and companies.”