On Monday 28 August, the Year 9 extension Science class visited the Harry Perkins BioDiscovery Centre in Nedlands, which forms part of the medical research facilities for UWA. Students were there to learn about the diagnosis and treatment of the different types of diabetes, which forms part of their study of body systems in Year 9 Science. Students conducted hands-on activities; testing samples for sugar levels and later, testing for insulin levels. Students then had to ascertain, through further testing, whether or not a sample was from a potential diabetic or not. Students were working in state-of-the-art laboratories with equipment such as calibrated pipettes and digital data-loggers.

This was a wonderful opportunity for students to get a feel for Science research in general and medical research in particular.