Life Sciences engagement resources: Video library

A series of videos giving an insight into the research that takes place in the Faculty of Life Sciences. Aimed at 12 years and above. Each video includes audio described version.

Secondary and above

• Investigating barley growth and development. Barley is Scotland’s main cereal crop. It is used for animal feed, as well as in the brewing and malting industries, making it a vital part of our economy. See how our plant scientists based at the James Hutton Institute study barley grain. 
• Life of bacteria over 200 degrees Celsius. Watch our microbiologist perform an experiment in our microbiology laboratory to see how we study bacteria and biofilms. 
• Making proteins. Learn how proteins are made by our scientists in MRC Reagents and Services. These proteins are sent to scientists around the globe to help them with their research. 
• Computers and Biological Research. Learn about the importance of computers in biological research. 
• Research using cryo-electron microscopy. Learn how cryo-electron microscopes let us view a world so small. 
• Learning from flies. There is a long history of scientists using fruit flies in their research. The way the cells of the fly function and develop is very similar to that of humans. This allows us to study these much simpler organisms to learn how our own bodies develop and function. 
• Testing blood in Parkinson's disease. Many of the scientists at the Medical Research Council Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit focus their research on Parkinson's disease. Here we share some of the clinical research taking place that aims to find new ways to treat the disease. 
• Understanding how the immune system works. Learn how our scientists study T lymphocytes also called T cells. They are a type of white blood cell and form part of our immune system. They help protect the body from infection by killing cancer or infected cells. They can study how T cells respond to different infections and how nutrients and their environment affect their ability to fight infection. 
• Targeting parasites. Scientists in the Centre for Anti-Infectives Research study parasites, called trypanosomes. They cause lethal, neglected tropical diseases in humans and in domestic animals. These and related parasites are generally transmitted in tropical countries in Africa, South America and Asia. Their research looks at how the parasites cause disease and infect people and animals and how we can find ways to stop this using medicines. 
• Potatoes from the past helping those today. Did you know that the world's third most important food crop is the potato? The James Hutton Institute in Invergowrie, Dundee are custodians of an incredibly special collection of wild and domesticated potato species called the Commonwealth Potato Collection. This collection holds the key to adapting modern potato varieties to changing climates and disease threats. 
• T cell growth and division. T cells are an important part of our immune system. See how our scientist's study how T cells grow and increase in number. 
• Disease insights from stem cells. Stem cells are an important tool for scientists to study how humans develop and how this goes wrong in disease. In the Medical Research Council Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, they use these cells to try and find the causes of human developmental disorders such as intellectual disability. 
• Research using worms. See how a nematode worm called Caenorhabditis elegans or C. elegans for short help scientists in Dundee understand the earliest stages of creating new life. 
• Using microscopes to study Parkinson's disease. Many of the scientists at the Medical Research Council Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit focus their research on Parkinson's disease. Here we share how using microscopes is helping us to find new ways to treat the disease. 
• Supporting Research. The research that takes place at the Faculty of Life Sciences is supported by  a large and varied team of people. Find out who some of them are and what they do.