Protein Challenge

The Protein Challenge is a school engagement project for Year 12 students, delivered in partnership with the Cambridge Academy of Science & Technology (CAST). Students get a taste of real lab science using authentic techniques and equipment inspired by cutting-edge research at Babraham �鶹��Ƶ.

Students in Year 12 and 13 participate in the project from October to December each year, working in small groups to undertake research focussed on the PTEN gene and protein, guided by teaching staff and researchers in the �鶹��Ƶ's Signalling programme.

During this 3-month project, students at CAST participate in:

An introduction to �鶹��Ƶ, the role of the PTEN enzyme and the Molecular Biology techniques used in the project.

A series of practical experiments involving PCR, SDS-PAGE and restriction digest
Workshops covering ethics in Bioscience research. For example - genome editing, animal models in research.
A session on creating academic posters
A poster exhibition at CAST where groups share their research findings.

The Protein Challenge was created by Dr Simon Rudge, formerly a Senior Research Associate at the �鶹��Ƶ.

The project is now jointly led by members of the Ktistakis and McGough groups, with many other staff at Babraham �鶹��Ƶ supporting various stages in the project:

Introducing the research context to students
Facilitating science workshops including an introduction to research ethics
Reviewing student research posters in the final exhibition

10 Years of Protein Challenge

This project has now been running since 2014, with over 300 students ages 16-17 participating to date.

Find out more about the Protein Challenge :

Protein Challenge On Tour (2022-2023)

In 2022 the project was delivered in several of our secondary schools across Cambridgeshire for the first time, bringing this incredible hands-on science opportunity to more students from our priority groups as part of the BioInspire programme.