The National Centre for Biotechnology Education (NCBE) is a national resource centre at the
University of Reading
The University of Reading is a public university in Reading, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1892 as University College, Reading, a University of Oxford extension college. The institution received the power to grant its own degrees in 192 ...
to teach pre-university
biotechnology
Biotechnology is the integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms, cells, parts thereof and molecular analogues for products and services. The term ''biotechnology'' was first used b ...
in schools in the UK. It was founded in 1990.
History
It began as the National Centre for School Biotechnology (NCSB) in 1985 in the Department of Microbiology. It became the NCBE in 1990. For many years it was the only centre in Europe that was devoted to the teaching of biotechnology in schools. The
Dolan DNA Learning Center had been set up in the USA.
It was set up as an education project by the Society for General Microbiology, now the
Microbiology Society
The Microbiology Society (previously the Society for General Microbiology) is a learned society based in the United Kingdom with a worldwide membership based in universities, industry, hospitals, research institutes and schools. It is the large ...
. Money from the
Laboratory of the Government Chemist
LGC Group, formerly the Laboratory of the Government Chemist, is an international life sciences measurement and tools company. It provides the role and duties of the UK Government Chemist, a statutory role and adviser to the government. LGC al ...
set up the National Centre for School Biotechnology (NCSB). Money also came from the
Gatsby Charitable Foundation
The Gatsby Charitable Foundation is an endowed grant-making trust, based in London, founded by David Sainsbury in 1967. The organisation is one of the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts, set up to provide funding for charitable causes. Although the ...
. For the first five years, the UK government's
DTI was involved, but from 1990 onwards wanted the organization to become self-supporting as it had to cut back on budgets. By 1992 the government provided no money for the centre.
Structure
The site was set up in former buildings of the University of Reading's Department of Microbiology.
Function
It reaches out to schools to give up-to-date information on biotechnology. Biotechnology is a rapidly evolving subject, and schools cannot keep up-to-date with all that they would be required to know. It produces educational resources. It runs the Microbiology in Schools Advisory Committee (MISAC).
MISAC
/ref>
See also
* Centre for Industry Education Collaboration
The Centre for Industry Education Collaboration (CIEC) is a British education resource for information about the chemical industry in the UK.
History
The organisation was set up jointly by the Chemical Industries Association and the Universit ...
at York
* National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics
The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM) is an institution set up in the wake of the Smith Report to improve mathematics teaching in England.
It provides strategic leadership for mathematics-specific CPD and ai ...
, University of York
, mottoeng = On the threshold of wisdom
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £8.0 million
, budget = £403.6 million
, chancellor = Heather Melville
, vice_chancellor = Charlie Jeffery
, students ...
* Science and Plants for Schools, another well-known science resource for UK schools
References
External links
NCBE
DNA to Darwin
Education resources from the University of Leicester
European Initiative for Biotechnology Education
{{Biotechnology
1985 establishments in the United Kingdom
Biology education in the United Kingdom
Biotechnology in the United Kingdom
Biotechnology organizations
Educational institutions established in 1985
Genetics education
Science education in the United Kingdom
Scientific organizations established in 1985
University of Reading