Two-Day Teachers’ Workshop in Biology

Date : 2-3 June 2022 | 8.30 am – 5.00 pm

Venue: Life Sciences Lab 3 (Block S1A Level 4), Department of Biological Sciences, NUS

The Department of Biological Sciences of the National University of Singapore is offering a 2-Day Teachers’ Workshop to biology/science teachers from schools in Singapore. This workshop aims to give teachers new insight on stem cell technology and applications, as well as expose them to a very popular and intuitive bioinformatics tool.

The workshop will include lectures and related hands-on laboratory sessions, conducted by highly experienced teaching staff and technical staff. The workshop content and structure will be as follows:

Workshop Synopsis

Day 1

Urban agriculture is a new way of local production of quality food for city dwellers. New technologies in robotics, data analytics and internet service have advanced current urban farm practices (Lecture 1). However, challenges remain in securing and optimizing crop varieties that perform well in urban farm settings. Genetics plays a crucial role in diversifying seed stocks (germplasms), from which molecular breeding practices expedite the process of selecting elite varieties featuring multiple beneficial traits (Lecture 2).

In the Day 1 workshop, we will introduce core concepts on urban agriculture (topics introduced in lecture 1). The power of genomics in molecular breeding will be introduced in the lecture 2; theoretical backgrounds on the latest technological advances in DNA sequencing, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and genomic selection will be discussed. In the afternoon session, hands-on experiences in in silico GWAS run will be provided. Participants are supposed to bring their own laptops for GWAS run and analysis.

Day 2

Comparative overview of genome-editing and traditional breeding will be provided for further discussion (Lecture 3). We will discuss how CRISPR/Cas technology can introduce intended changes in crop genomes to improve agriculturally important traits. CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome editing has been proven to operate in multiple plant species. Wet lab experiments will be performed if permitted. In case we have to conduct the workshop using the online format, the hands-on experiences on genome editing in plants will focus on in silico design of target region of interest, post-genome validation of edited parts of the genome and prediction of off-target editing.
Public acceptance of genome editing and GMO and the role of scientists/teachers will be discussed towards the end (Lecture 4). Also, in this lecture, we will briefly discuss Cellular Agriculture, which has the potential to revolutionize food production in the long-term. Future advancements in such areas will help us reduce our food production footprints, which can help to address not only land scarcity caused by the impending climate change, but also a multitude of environmental and food security issues

After attending this workshop, it is envisaged that teachers can better appreciate various topics related to urban agriculture. The knowledge and skills can then be passed on to their students, and inspire them to learn more about the latest advances in biology that affect us directly.

To be eligible, applicants must be:

• Full-time biology/science teachers.
• Currently employed in a school in Singapore.
• Teaching biology and/or advanced placement science for Sec 3 – JC 2.

The workshop is limited to 30-40 participants and provides an excellent opportunity for teachers to:

• Gain knowledge on the latest topics and new developments in biological sciences.

• Learn laboratory techniques covering topics relevant to the biology curriculum.

• Network with their colleagues from different schools and science disciplines.

Workshop Fee: $300/pax

Registration closing date: Friday, 15 April 2022

Complete and send the Two-day Teachers Workshop Registration Form  to

Steven Tan (Mr)
Tel: 6516 2693

Email: steventan@nus.edu.sg