In a Masterclass with Centre of the Cell, Science&Engineering Saturday Club members from Anglia Ruskin University headed to Queen Mary University to investigate the importance of monitoring and reducing air pollution in the community.
The day began with an introduction from the team at Centre of the Cell, a science education centre based at Queen Mary University, London. It is the first science education centre in the world to be located within working biomedical research laboratories. They then went through an overview of the CHILL project (Children’s Health in London & Luton), a study examining the adverse effects of air pollution on children’s lung development.
After the initial introductions, Club members took on the roles of budding scientists and engineers. They were tasked with creating a 3-minute pitch which outlined their plans to measure and combat air pollution locally, with the aim of receiving funding They had the opportunity to build prototypes of their ideas, develop public engagement programmes or propose other initiatives needing funding. They used the materials provided to make a model or design a poster to present their ideas.
The Masterclass concluded with each group presenting their pitches, which were judged by the Centre of the Cell team. The winning group suggested a strategy involving wealth distribution to address air pollution. Club members were also able to take the prototypes of their devices home.