On Tuesday 18th November, our Sixth Form students attended an insightful Chemistry in Action day at the University of Warwick. Lower Sixth IB student, Zaynab Choudhury, reflected on the trip:

“The Chemistry in Action trip kicked off with 32 Sixth Form students being loaded into the bus at the crack of dawn, offering both IB and A Level chemists an invaluable opportunity to explore future academic and career pathways through talks by leading figures in chemistry.

“These experts challenged stereotypes and gave us a realistic insight into the breadth of opportunities available. Each of the 5 lectures was insightful and informative offering a fresh perspective on the scope of contemporary chemistry, making it difficult for me to name a favourite. From Dr Rianne Lord’s uplifting discovery on the emerging role of metal-based drugs in cancer treatment, to Dr Michael Sulu’s revelation of the astonishing abilities of microorganisms and cutting-edge technologies for predicting protein structures, the day was not one to be missed. 

“My personal highlight was Dr Alex Baker, leader of BHCG, whose session traced the dark and complex history of antibiotics. He debunked the assumption that Penicillin was the first antibiotic (all GCSE History students cheered when he named Salvarson 606) before revealing the unsettling truth that IG Farben produced both Prontosil, the first sulphonamide drug, and the infamous Zyklon B used in the holocaust. Dr Baker explained how resistance emerged almost immediately (gonorrhoea in 1944), linking this to Darwinian evolution and warned that underdosing and misuse have exacerbated antimicrobial resistance, now a global threat on the scale of climate change. Citing projections of 40 million AMR deaths in the next 25 years and 730,000 MRSA deaths in 2021, he stressed the urgent need for safe, affordable, scalable new antimicrobials driven by multidisciplinary science and AI. The talk deepened my own interest in antibiotic resistance and helped me understand fully the urgency of significant breakthroughs in this field. 

“Dr Kathryn Harkup and Dr Tim Gregory offered equally thought-provoking sessions, educating us on the growing need for nuclear professionals due to the UK’s investment in Sizewell C (Suffolk) and how public stigma surrounding nuclear power shields us from its untapped potential. The day concluded with Dr Harkup’s exploration of poisons; how they have been used as medicine throughout history, even recipes for brewing them - and finally, a playful caution about a potential police investigation for any overly curious students.

“The trip reminded me - and the Sixth Form chemists - that chemistry isn’t just a subject we study, but a field where we could make a real difference in the world.”