Plant diseases, feeding the world and big data

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Suitable for 14-18-year olds (secondary, middle and high schools), this article and accompanying activity sheet can be used in the classroom, in science clubs and at home.

This resource links to KS3 Biology, Interactions and interdependencies and KS4 Biology, Ecosystems; Evolution, inheritance and variation, but is also internationally relevant.

It can also be used as a careers resource and links to Gatsby Benchmarks:
Gatsby Benchmark 2: Learning from career and labour market information
Gatsby Benchmark 4: Linking curriculum learning to careers

The article includes a summary of a research project, summaries of plant diseases, molecular genetics and big data, i.e. what are these fields and what role do they play in keeping our food crops free from disease, and an interview with Dr Kim Hammond-Kosack.

The activity sheet includes discussion points - nine questions the students can answer in groups or individually - and ideas for activities that are relevant to biology.

This resource was first published on Futurum Careers, a free online resource and magazine aimed at encouraging 14-19-year-olds worldwide to pursue careers in science, tech, engineering, maths, medicine (STEM) and social sciences, humanities and the arts for people and the economy (SHAPE).

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