The Science class in 11th grade started an scientific collaboration with Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera to develop new antibiotics. The activity is part of the Small World Initiative(SWI), a global project launched by Yale University to find through crowdsourcing microorganisms which could be used in future antibiotics. SWI is leaded in Spain by Universidad Complutense, and Universidad CEU is one of the three universities in Valencia collaborating with the initiative.
At SWI@CEU, ASV students will take samples of ground around their hometowns, processing them later at the science lab to isolate microorganisms with potential medical use. “It is the same idea of Fleming’s discovery of penicillin”, Dr. Teresa Pérez, who is leading the project at CEU UCH, said. “The difference is now we are guiding the search phase to teach students to take samples and cultivate microorganisms as scientists do in the laboratory”.
The opening session, held on Wednesday, February 21, included a presentation of the project and instructions to take samples in outdoor settings. There will be four more sessions supervised by a group of university students (currently studying Pharmacy and Veterinary) and our High School Science teachers. Two ASV graduates, Beatriz Suay and Reyes Sanchis, are members of the small team “teaching” microbiology to our 11th graders. Welcome back!
