COMMUNITIES 4

 

Supercharging

Working Scientifically

for Stage 5

 

Real first-hand investigations to develop and extend working scientifically skills 

Microbiomics is the study of microbial communities. Microbial community analysis can be undertaken using classical microbiology techniques or the latest molecular biology techniques, and our C4 programs offer both. Join our community of students, teachers & schools, working scientifically together with Quantal Bioscience on real research projects, searching for microbes that make antimicrobials (C4AD), bioelectrogens (C4BD), and extremophiles (C4ED). 

Or choose your class' or school's own adventure, and discover microbial communities of your own, with support from our scientists. Our C4 programs develop students' appreciation of the importance of science in their lives, and authentically engage students in first-hand investigations ultimately aimed at finding solutions to social and global issues, and shaping sustainable futures. Each C4 program provides opportunity for students to significantly extend their skills in Working Scientifically, and to develop Knowledge and Understanding of core and additional Stage 5 content in the Living World, and beyond.

C4AD

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is one of the greatest health challenges currently faced by humankind, and the world is in desperate need of new antimicrobials. But most people don't know that lots of  microorganisms make antimicrobials, and they do this naturally to fight off other microorganisms. One of the under-researched areas is how microorganisms make antimicrobial in communities. Join our C4AD program to join the real search for new antimicrobial compounds, produced by other microorganisms when they are growing together in communities.

C4BD

Two of the biggest sustainability challenges facing us all for the future are how to deal with different pollutants in the environment, and how to generate clean electricity. Enter bioelectrogens - amazing microorganisms with the ability to do both! Join our C4BD program to discover communities of microorganisms producing electricity from waste. You might even work towards building your own microbial fuel cell for waste treatment at your school!

C4CD

Take a look around your school, and your broader community. What sort of challenges are facing your local community, and where could you innovate? If your challenge is related to microorganisms, we can help guide you to develop your own research program. Like to learn more about water quality at your local creek or beach? How about working out which soil improvers would increase microbial diversity in your vege patch? Or what happens to the microorganisms in your worm farm when you feed it on different types of kitchen scraps? Let us know what your community would like to discover, and we can help design your investigation using the very latest science.

C4ED

Extremophiles are amazing microorganisms able to tolerate extremes of temperature, salinity and UV radiation, just to name a few hostile elements. Their unique abilities make them of unique biotechnological potential - imagine enzymes harvested from these microorganisms that can work under all sorts of extreme industrial conditions. Extremophiles are famous for inhabiting exotic locations, on the sides of volcanoes, beside hot water vents at the bottom of the ocean, in Antarctica and in burning deserts. But many extremophiles can be found a lot closer to home. Join our C4ED program to discover more about the extremophiles right here in our own backyards.

Each Communities 4 PROGRAM includes:

  • Comprehensive materials via online platform, including

    • Teacher introduction to research area
    •  Suggested lesson plans for 8, 12 and 15 hour programs - and beyond!
    • Student background briefing on research area
    • Tailored Working Scientifically resources for students: 
      • questioning and predicting
      • planning investigations 
      • conducting investigations
      • processing and analysing data and information
      • problem solving
      • communication
    • Tailored curation of relevant primary literature
    • Mini-lecture slide decks
    • Mini-practicums
    • Laboratory technique videos
    • Resource lists (equipment and consumables)
    • Culture media recipes (for science prep laboratory staff)
    • Access to Quantal Bioscience's C4 sequencing database 
    • Microbiome sequence analysis tutorial 
    • Template formative & summative assessments & rubrics 

  • Ongoing membership site access for unlimited teachers

  • 3 h remote training with our scientitsts for unlimited teachers*

  • 1 year membership site access for unlimited students

  • 3 x remote classes with our scientists for unlimited students**

  • Provision of microbe cultures (if required for C4 program)

$1,200 + GST 

program purchase

price per school

 

discounts available for low-SES and regional schools

 

discounts available for multi-school purchases

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

program requires no specialised laboratory equipment, but provides options for use of such items that may already be available at your school

 

 

most consumable items are standard school science consumable items culture media can be made by your science prep laboratory staff

OR

option to purchase consumable class packs from Quantal Bioscience at cost price, as well as culture media

 

​* Additional remote training sessions available at any time after purchase  - $300 (in 21/22) for 3 h, unlimited teachers

** Additional remote classes with our scientists available - $100 (in 21/22) per class (up to 1 h), for unlimited students 

 

  • Updates to online materials (as become available)

    • Updated C4 sequencing database
    • Updated tailored curation of primary literature

  • 1 year membership site access for unlimited students

  • 3 x remote classes with our scientists for unlimited students**

  • Re-provision of microbe cultures (if required for C4 program)

+ $300 + GST 

annual renewal 

price per school (in 21/22)

 

only pay in the years you use the program - stop & restart as you need 

OPTIONAL Communities 4 SEQUENCING LAB extension:

  • Full day incursion or excursion with our scientists 

    • Incursions: we bring our equipment to your class 
    • Excursions: your students work in our teaching lab*** 

  • DNA extraction & sequencing by students of class samples 

    • 12 samples per class (students work individually or in pairs) 

  • Your own unique class data set to analyse and build on! 

    • Including integration into Quantal Bioscience's C4 sequence database

$1,560 + GST 

with maximum 24 students per session

(= $65 per student + GST)

 

discounts available

for multiple sessions

 

***Our teaching lab is co-located in The Science Centre @ The King's School @ North Parramatta

OPTIONAL Communities 4 (C4ED only) FIELD TRIP extension:

  • Join our scientists on a 5 day field trip to discover extremophiles 

    • regional NSW sampling site with site permissions 
    • sequence with our scientists in the field! 
    • meet and work with local regional students and teachers 
    • learn from local indigenous leaders on country  
    • learn from guest scientists with lots of extra science activities  

  • Including pre-trip planning meetings with teachers & students  

coming for 2022 

(COVID-19 permitting)

NESA Syllabus Stage 5 Values & Attitudes Outcomes

NESA Syllabus Stage 5 Values & Attitudes Outcomes C4 Antimicrobial Discovery C4 Bioelectrogen Discovery C4 Choose Your Own Discovery C4 Extremophile Discovery
1VA Importace of science and role of enquiry ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
2VA Engage in finding solutions ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
3VA Evidence-based decisions ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

 

NESA Syllabus Stage 5 Skills Content

NESA Syllabus Stage 5 Skills Content C4 Antimicrobial Discovery C4 Bioelectrogen Discovery C4 Choose Your Own Discovery C4 Extremophile Discovery
WS4 Questioning and predicting ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
WS5.1 Planning investigations: identify data to be collected ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
WS5.2 Planning investigations: plan first-hand investigations ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
WS5.3 Planning investigations: choose equipment or resources ✔ ✔
WS6 Conducting investigations ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
WS7.1 Processing and analysing data and information: processing ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
WS7.2 Processing and analysing data and information: analysing ✔
WS8 Problem solving ✔ ✔
WS9 Communicating ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

 

NESA Syllabus Stage 5 Knowledge & Understanding Content

NESA Syllabus Stage 5 Knowledge & Understanding Content C4 Antimicrobial Discovery C4 Bioelectrogen Discovery C4 Choose Your Own Discovery C4 Extremophile Discovery
Physical World PW3 - current electricty Additional - Ohm's Law
Earth & Space Additional - new career opportunities
Living World LW2 - interactions in ecosystems LW3 - science & technology LW4 - natural selection Additional - DNA sequencing & bioinformatics LW2 - interactions in ecosystems LW3 - science & technology Additional - DNA sequencing & bioinformatics LW2 - interactions in ecosystems LW3 - science & technology Additional - DNA sequencing & bioinformatics LW2 - interactions in ecosystems LW3 - science & technology LW4 - natural selection Additional - DNA sequencing & bioinformatics
Chemical World Additional - evaluate claims Additional - simple electrochemical cells

 

 

Quantal Bioscience, our research laboratory

and our MSchool laboratory are co-located

in The King's School Science Centre at

North Parramatta, Sydney, Australia. 

© Copyright Quantal Bioscience. All Rights Reseved.