On Thursday, May 13, 2021 the group of Grade 11 Biology students visited the campus of Cardenal Herrera CEU University and participated in the official closing of the SWICEU project. The event was the occasion to present the outcome of the 2021 edition and share with the three involved schools, one of them ASV, the joy of having completed a challenging research project during the pandemic.
SWICEU is a collaborative project addressed to find microorganisms with potential antibiotic properties. To complete the research, undergraduate students at UCH CEU led practical workshops for High School students (Grade 11 at ASV) in which soil samples were cultured. The ASV sessions took place in February and March 2021. Three months later, after processing all of the materials collected, the SWICEU team was able to find 64 strains with antibiosis capacity.
Although there are other similar projects in Spain, SWICEU has been the only one holding on site lab sessions with COVID-19 protection measures. The students have received a participation certificate and a copy of “2050 Infection!”, a card game developed to raise awareness about the problem of resistance to bacteria caused by the incorrect use of antibiotics.
Congratulations to Mr. Matías Benlloch, Ms. Carolina Nonay, Dr. Irma García and the Grade 11 Biology students for their dedication and commitment to advancing applied research as an integral part of the ASV science curriculum and in preparation for their university studies.
