Interviews with La Trobe University Biochemists:
Introduction

Hey! Where are your pictures ??

Links within this page are:

Introduction to the Interview pages.
How the Interviews were set up.
The interview proforma.
The Interview Index.

Links to other pages are:

Introduction to the Interview pages.

From this page you can click to read an interview with a senior research scientist in the School of Biochemistry at LaTrobe University.

These interviews occurred early in 1997 and were constructed especially to ask the questions a VCE Biology student would want to ask as s/he prepared for CAT 2.

Although the interviews will not produce a perfect CAT for you (should that be purrfect?), they will start you off with a suitable topic and guidance as to what you might look for to supplement the information you find here.

Back to choose another topic

SETTING UP THE INTERVIEWS

There is a great deal of interesting research going on in Biochemistry at LaTrobe University.

All of the senior researchers have one or more post graduate students, and sometimes post doctoral researchers in their groups working on a variety of projects. Usually all of the projects in a senior researcher's group are related to a general area of interest, but the projects may each tackle a problem from different directions. Therefore, in preparing the material for this web site, it was important to focus on work which is suitable for VCE students to investigate for CAT 2.

The scintists were all given a brief description of VCE Biology CAT 2 so that they could identify an aspect of the work in their laboratories which would be suitable as a topic in applied genetics. Then each senior scientist was interviewed, using the format described below.

It was often interesting to observe the reaction to questions such as 'who will benefit from your research?' or 'how much does the research cost?' or 'what is a controversial issue related to what you are doing?' - the scientists were clearly not expecting that sort of question! But, with a little thought, and some 'I'll get back to you on that', the interviews were completed.

Back to choose another topic

THE INTERVIEW PROFORMA

After checking that we were about to focus on a suitable topic for VCE Biology CAT 2, the scientists were asked the following questions:

Interviewer: What is the main purpose of your research or the genetic technique you use?

Interviewer: Can you describe briefly how you are doing whatever you do?

Interviewer: Who or what (animal or plant) will benefit from your research/techniques?

Interviewer: What are the economic implications of your applied genetics? (How expensive is it to do? What will be'are the cost benefits of the outcome?)

Interviewer: Historically, what is the scientific background to the research you are now doing?

Interviewer: For a Year 12 Biology student to understand what you are doing, some background knowledge of biological concepts will be needed. Can you tell me what biology is relevant to what you are doing, and why?

Interviewer: I now need to know something of the techniques used in your research. Can you tell me what techniques are important, and why they are important?

Interviewer: What do you see as the major biological implications of the work you are doing? For example; are genotypes or phenotypes being altered?, is a species survival potential increased?, will someone or something have a better quality of life?

Interviewer: There is often discussion or debate about issues associated with biotechnology. What is one such issue relating to your work? Can you outline the arguments of the opposing sides of the debate please?

Interviewer: Can you suggest some reading material relevant to anything we have discussed about your work, its implications and issues associated with it?

Interviewer: Is there anything else you would like to add to the report of your interview?

Interviewer: Thank you for your time.

Note: Even if you choose not to use one of the Interviews which follow as the source of your CAT 2 Topic, the interview format above would still be useful in sorting out the information you gather to tackle this CAT.

Back to choose another topic

THE INTERVIEW INDEX

You can click on each of these scientist's names to read the transcript of his/her VCE Biology CAT interview....

**The Scientists and their work**
Scientist	The biotechnology s/he is doing
Prof. Nick Hoogenraad Chairman of the Division of Biochemistry and Genetics and Head of the School of Biochemistry	Using genetic approaches to discovering how proteins find their way around a cell and the dire consequences of getting lost.
Dr Michael Foley School of Biochemistry	Production of Therapeutic Anti-malaria Antibodies in Genetically Engineered Bacteria.
Dr Trevor Lithgow School of Biochemistry	Cell Death and the Development of Cancer
Dr Leann Tilley School of Biochemistry	Use of applied genetic technology to investigate the way malaria parasites cause disease.
Dr Marilyn Anderson School of Biochemistry	Genetic engineering of plants for insect resistance.
Dr Don Phillips School of Biochemistry	The use of biotechnology to find a better anticancer drug
Prof. Robert Scopes School of Biochemistry	Genetic engineering of E.coli to have the bacteria produce alcohol.
Dr Gideon Polya School of Biochemistry	The development of insect and fungus resistant crop plants.
Prof Jenny Graves Head of the School of Genetics	The How and Y of sex.
Dr Neil Murray School of Genetics	Use of DNA fingerprinting to study relationships between populations of Eastern Barred Bandicoots

Back to choose another topic

We welcome your comments about this project.
Click on Kick-the-cat to return to the VCE Biology Students' Home Page

This page is maintained by Jenny Herington, who can be contacted at bio_cat@bioserve.latrobe.edu.au by email. All of the pages at the VCE Biology Students' site are copyright © Biochemistry, LaTrobe University. Last update :24 April 97