The Royal Society’s Summer Science exhibition was a fantastic showcase of how science can be applied in industry and the revolutionary practices we can be part of in helping the world move forward.

While all the exhibits were brilliant – Guardians of the Gut was a especially fascinating.This exhibit consisted of a cave like structure designed as an anatomical representation of the gut.It provided students with the chance to learn about the bacteria that live inside our digestive system – using different coloured lights to indicate different species of bacteria. It was eye-opening to see how lifestyle factors can affect the bacteria growth inside our body and made us realise how important is to ensure we keep a balance of healthy bacteria in our gut.

Another exhibit which was particularly interesting was Soil: Our Buried Treasure. This interactive exhibit explored the diversity of life within our soil and it was fascinating to see the huge range of life beneath our feet - we learned that in a single teaspoon of soil there are more microorganisms than there are people alive! We were also given our own kit to measure the pH of our soil at home and learned how this affects plant growth. 

One of the most interesting exhibits Materials Matter explored the use of biomaterials for bone repair. We were taught about the case of a particular dog who was saved from having her leg amputated - instead her leg was repaired with the use of biomaterials. We were also able to look through a microscope to examine cells on biomaterials. The research raised hope for the next generation of bone graft using biomaterials.

Overall the Exhibition was a really enjoyable day, where there was a fantastic cohesion between science and industry that used design and visual stimulus to really engage us. It enabled us to explore scientific concepts, not all typical to the classroom, in a way that was innovative and aesthetically pleasing.

Libby Plastiras and Henry Galano – Year 13 Chemistry