research – Page 3 – ReelLIFE SCIENCE

(Directing a nature hunt in NUI Galway are students from St Enda’s College, Galway (l-r): Conor Elliot, Shane Kelly, Sorcha Whyte, Alice O’Donnell and John Ugwu. Photo by Iain Shaw.)

316 primary and secondary schools around Galway and the island of Ireland, will this morning have received an invitation to take part in the inaugural ReelLife Science schools Science video competition. The competition aims to involve school children in Science in a fun way, developing their analytical, creative and communication skills. Teachers and students are invited to choose a Scientific topic to communicate in their own unique way, by making a short (1-3 min) video. ReelLife Science will be awarding €1000 in prizes to the winning schools, who will also be invited to the Galway Science and Technology Festival on November 24th, to see their videos on display to the public.

(Getting up close to DNA are students from St Enda’s College, Galway (l-r): John Ugwu, Sorcha Whyte, Alice O’Donnell, Conor Elliot and Shane Kelly. Photo by Iain Shaw.)

Videos must reach us by Friday, 25 October and the winners will be announced on November 11th. The winning videos will be displayed on the projects website, Facebook page , and Twitter feed, where regular updates, Science news and blog posts can be found. Additional application forms may be downloaded by primary and secondary schools in Galway city and county here.

The NUI Galway ReelLife Science team wishes everyone taking part in the competition the best of luck. Have fun everyone!

For further information visit www.reellifescience.com

Stem cells are very special, unspecialised cells that can become, and replace, any type of cell in our body. We need stem cells to replenish the millions of blood, skin and other types of cells that die every day.

Medically, surgeons use layers of skin derived from stem cells to treat extensively burned tissue, while stem cells can be differentiated into heart, brain and other tissue types for potential new therapies. In the lab, stem cells are also used to test new drugs and give insights into complex conditions like Alzheimer’s, Parkinsons’s and diabetes.

This beautifully produced short film by EuroStemCell gives an introduction into the life of stem cells inside and outside our body.