Mar. 12, 2007 — Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) has launched a series of educational Kits to help secondary school and junior college teachers inject cutting-edge concepts in their laboratory lessons. Minister of State for Trade and Industry Mr S Iswaran unveiled the Kits to some 400 students and teachers at the Institute’s Open House for Schools at the Biopolis. The institute’s mission is to establish a broad knowledge base and conduct innovative research at the interface of bioengineering and nanotechnology.

Aimed at students between the ages of 15 and 19, the IBN Nano-Bio Kits feature interactive experiments and lessons on practical applications in nanobiotechnology, drug delivery, and medical devices. The first three Kits in the range include the Biological Fuel Cell Kit, the Thermo-responsive Hydrogel Kit, and the Dielectrophoresis Chip Kit, and they come equipped with lesson plans, background readings, experimental components and instructions, as well as worksheets and quizzes. Teachers are also provided with worksheet answers, experimental instructional videos, and slides to help them plan lesson modules based on the scientific topics relevant to each Kit.

The kits are part of IBN’s efforts to cultivate an active research culture among the young in Singapore under its Youth Research Program (YRP), which was established in 2003. Through the YRP, the Institute hopes to encourage more Singaporean youth to take up careers in research. This multi-faceted Program has attracted more than 13,500 participants to date, among whom are 617 students and teachers who have undergone full-time attachments at the Institute.