Biotechnology student resource revamped

Biotechnology Online, a national education resource aimed at making high-school students more aware of the ethics and scientific principles of biotechnology has been updated and relaunched. Craig Cormick, manager of public awareness for Commonwealth agency Biotechnology Australia, said it was important to expand and update Biotechnology Online which was first developed in 2001.

"Issues surrounding ethics have become more pressing in recent years", he said. "We have also included a careers section."

Consultation with teachers played an important role in updating the site to develop material that best suited their needs, with relevance to the current high-school curriculum given a top priority.

"This has led to the inclusion of increased information about human applications such as cloning, stem cells and emerging infectious diseases as well as environmental applications of biotechnology research," he said. "Teachers also asked for more real-world examples of current, relevant Australian research and news, as they are very keen to be able to put the information in Biotechnology Online in context."

The new website can be accessed at www.biotechnologyonline.gov.au.