Suitable for 14 to 19-year-olds (secondary and high schools, and college), this article and accompanying activity sheet can be used in the classroom or shared with students online. This resource links to KS4 and KS5 Chemistry, Biology & Engineering. 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 • This teaching resource explains the work of Dr Yamil Colón, a chemical and biomolecular engineer at the University of Notre Dame in the US, who is studying the important chemical process of adsorption. His work could help make huge breakthroughs in healthcare, climate change, environment and water scarcity research. • This resource also contains an interview with Yamil. If you or your students have a question for him, you can submit it online – go to the article using the Futurum link below and scroll to the bottom of the page. Yamil will reply! • The activity sheet provides ‘talking points’ (based on Bloom’s Taxonomy) to prompt students to reflect on Yamil’s research, and tasks them to design an educational resource based on the article. 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). If you like these free resources – or have suggestions for improvements –, please let us know and leave us some feedback. Thank you!

Thank you for downloading this free resource. Let us know how we are doing and leave us a review. Suitable for 14-19-year olds (secondary and high schools, and college), this article and accompanying activity sheet can be used in the classroom, for biology/ecology/environmental science/STEM clubs and at home. This resource links to KS4 and KS5 Biology. 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 This teaching resource explains that work of Dr Chris Marble, an environmental horticulturist based at the University of Florida in the US. His work focuses on developing ways of improving weed control in various settings, in order to benefit farmers and gardeners around the world. This resource also contains an interview with Dr Marble. The activity sheet provides ‘talking points’ to prompt students to reflect on Dr Marble’s work and links to find out more about the wonderful world of weeds! 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). If you like these free resources – or have suggestions for improvements –, please let us know and leave us some feedback. Thank you!

Thank you for downloading this free resource. Let us know how we are doing and leave us a review. Suitable for 14-19-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; Geography, human and physical and KS4 Biology, Ecosystems; Geography, locational knowledge; human and physical geography, 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 marine research project, an infographic of a food web, an explanation of oceanography i.e. what is it and what career opportunities are there in this field, and an interview with oceanographer Dr Marc Frischer. The activity sheet includes discussion points - seven questions the students can answer in groups or individually - and ideas for activities that are relevant to marine science. 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). If you like these free resources – or have suggestions for improvements –, please let us know and leave us some feedback. Thank you!

Suitable for 14 to 19-year-olds (secondary and high schools, and college), this article and accompanying activity sheet can be used in the classroom or shared with students online. This resource links to KS4 and KS5 Computer Science and Biology. 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 • This teaching resource explains the work of Dr Narges Armanfard, from McGill University and Mila Quebec AI Institute in Montreal, Canada, who has set up her iSMART Lab to develop intelligent computer systems that can support medical professionals. • This resource also contains interviews with Narges and team members Hadi and Khanh. If you or your students have a question for them, you can submit it online – go to the article using the Futurum link below and scroll to the bottom of the page. The team will reply! • The activity sheet provides ‘talking points’ (based on Bloom’s Taxonomy) to prompt students to reflect on the team’s research, and tasks them to discuss how AI could improve our lives. 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). If you like these free resources – or have suggestions for improvements –, please let us know and leave us some feedback. Thank you!

Suitable for 14 to 19-year-olds (secondary and high schools, and college), this article and accompanying activity sheet can be used in the classroom or shared with students online. This resource links to KS4 and KS5 Biology and Chemistry. 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 • Synthetic fertilisers are currently necessary for producing enough food for the global population to survive, but they are known to contribute to greenhouse gas levels, contaminate water sources and increase soil acidity. This teaching resource explains the work of Dr Nathaniel Boyer, a biochemist at Washington State University in the US, who is working to find a more environmentally friendly solution. • This resource also contains an interview with Nate. If you or your students have a question for him, you can submit it online – go to the article using the Futurum link below and scroll to the bottom of the page. Nate will reply! • The activity sheet provides ‘talking points’ (based on Bloom’s Taxonomy) to prompt students to reflect on Nate’s research, and tasks them debate whether synthetic fertilisers should be banned. 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). If you like these free resources – or have suggestions for improvements –, please let us know and leave us some feedback. Thank you!

Suitable for 14-19-year olds (secondary and high schools, and college), this article and accompanying activity sheet can be used in the classroom, STEM clubs and at home. This resource links to KS4 and KS5 biology, computer science and engineering. 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 • This teaching resource explains the work of Dr Salah Al-Zaiti (a nurse scientist at the University of Pittsburgh), Dr Christian Martin-Gill (an emergency physician at the University of Pittsburgh) and Dr Ervin Sejdić (a biomedical engineer at the University of Toronto). They have developed an AI tool that can diagnose a heart attack from a patient’s electrocardiogram (ECG). • This resource also contains interviews with Salah, Christian and Ervin and offers an insight into careers in machine learning in medicine. If your students have questions for Salah, Christian and Ervin, they can send them to them online. All they need to do is to go to the article online (see the Futurum link below), scroll down to the end and type in the question(s). Salah, Christian and Ervin will reply! • The activity sheet provides ‘talking points’ (based on Bloom’s Taxonomy) to prompt students to reflect on the team’s research and challenges them to design a new AI tool to detect a medical condition. 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). If you like these free resources – or have suggestions for improvements –, please let us know and leave us some feedback. Thank you!

Suitable for 14 to 19-year-olds (secondary and high schools, and college), this article and accompanying activity sheet can be used in the classroom or shared with students online. This resource links to KS4 and KS5 Biology. 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 • Going to university is a huge change from going to high school. At the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg in the US, biologists Barbara Barnhart and Dr Olivia Long are using their Science Seminar programme to ease this transition for first year students studying biology, chemistry and biochemistry degrees. This teaching resource explains their work. • This resource also contains interviews with Barbara and Olivia. If you or your students have a question for them, you can submit it online – go to the article using the Futurum link below and scroll to the bottom of the page. Barbara and Olivia will reply! • The activity sheet provides ‘talking points’ (based on Bloom’s Taxonomy) to prompt students to reflect on Barbara and Olivia’s research, and poses the question, ‘who owns your biological tissues?’. 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). If you like these free resources – or have suggestions for improvements –, please let us know and leave us some feedback. Thank you!

Suitable for 14-19-year olds (secondary and high schools, and college), this article and accompanying activity sheet can be used in the classroom, STEM clubs and at home. This resource links to KS4 and KS5 biology. 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 • This teaching resource explains the work of Dr Chris Contag, a biomedical engineer and microbiologist at Michigan State University. He is developing engineered endosymbionts that can repair tissues in the body. • This resource also contains an interview with Chris and offers an insight into careers in biomedical engineering. If your students have questions for Chris, they can send them to him online. All they need to do is to go to the article online (see the Futurum link below), scroll down to the end and type in the question(s). Chris will reply! • The activity sheet provides ‘talking points’ (based on Bloom’s Taxonomy) to prompt students to reflect on Chris’ research and challenges them to persuade patients waiting for a heart transplant that engineered endosymbionts could be an alternative treatment option. 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). If you like these free resources – or have suggestions for improvements –, please let us know and leave us some feedback. Thank you!

Suitable for 14 to 19-year-olds (secondary and high schools, and college), this article and accompanying activity sheet can be used in the classroom or shared with students online. This resource links to KS4 and KS5 Biology. 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 • Dr Kristina Ames is the Assistant Director for Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (CRTEC) at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, USA. As a biomedical scientist and passionate educator, Kristina talks us through key concepts of cell biology and how understanding of them shapes scientific research and impacts society. • This resource also contains an overview of Kristina’s own research. If you or your students have a question for her, you can submit it online – go to the article using the Futurum link below and scroll to the bottom of the page. Kristina will reply! • The activity sheets provides ‘talking points’ and a range of tasks to encourage students to explore the topics of DNA, transcription and translation in further detail. • The PowerPoint reiterates the key points in the article and includes further talking points to encourage students to reflect on current research challenges and ethical considerations. 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). If you like these free resources – or have suggestions for improvements –, please let us know and leave us some feedback. Thank you!

Suitable for 14-19-year olds (secondary and high schools, and college), this article and accompanying activity sheet can be used in the classroom, STEM clubs and at home. This resource links to KS4 and KS5 biology. 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 • This teaching resource explains the work of Professor Jong Hyun Ham, a plant Pathologist at Louisiana State University. He is investigating the harmful and beneficial impacts bacteria have on rice and soybean. • This resource also contains an interview with Jong and offers an insight into careers in plant pathology. If your students have questions for Jong, they can send them to him online. All they need to do is to go to the article online (see the Futurum link below), scroll down to the end and type in the question(s). Jong will reply! • The activity sheet provides ‘talking points’ (based on Bloom’s Taxonomy) to prompt students to reflect on Jong’s research and challenges them to take advantage of symbiotic relationships to grow edible plants. 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). If you like these free resources – or have suggestions for improvements –, please let us know and leave us some feedback. Thank you!

Suitable for 14-19-year olds (secondary and high schools, and college), this article and accompanying activity sheet can be used in the classroom, STEM clubs and at home. This resource links to KS4 and KS5 biology. 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 • This teaching resource explains the work of Dr Bill Rolling and Dr Jenyne Loarca, plant geneticists at the USDA Vegetable Crop Research Unit. They are investigating the factors that influence carrot germination and growth. • This resource also contains an interview with Bill and Jenyne and offers an insight into careers in plant genetics. If your students have questions for Bill and Jenyne, they can send them to them online. All they need to do is to go to the article online (see the Futurum link below), scroll down to the end and type in the question(s). Bill and Jenyne will reply! • The activity sheet provides ‘talking points’ (based on Bloom’s Taxonomy) to prompt students to reflect on Bill and Jenyne’s research and challenges them to explore how environmental conditions influence seed germination and plant growth. 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). If you like these free resources – or have suggestions for improvements –, please let us know and leave us some feedback. Thank you!

Suitable for 14 to 19-year-olds (secondary and high schools, and college), this article and accompanying activity sheet can be used in the classroom or shared with students online. This resource links to KS4 and KS5 Computer Science and Biology. 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 • This teaching resource explains the work of Dr Linwei Wang from the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, USA, who is using artificial intelligence to develop new and innovative ways of detecting heart disease. • This resource also contains an interview with Linwei. If you or your students have a question for her, you can submit it online – go to the article using the Futurum link below and scroll to the bottom of the page. Linwei will reply! • The activity sheet provides ‘talking points’ (based on Bloom’s Taxonomy) to prompt students to reflect on Linwei’s research, and tasks them to design an in-home health monitoring device. 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). If you like these free resources – or have suggestions for improvements –, please let us know and leave us some feedback. Thank you!

Suitable for 14 to 19-year-olds (secondary and high schools, and college), this article and accompanying activity sheet can be used in the classroom or shared with students online. This resource links to KS4 and KS5 Biology, Physics and Engineering. 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 • This teaching resource explains the work of Professor Christian Franck, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US, who leads the PANTHER programme, researching new ways of detecting and preventing traumatic brain injuries. • This resource also contains interviews with Christian and members of the PANTHER team, providing insights into their areas of research. If you or your students have a question for them, you can submit it online – go to the article using the Futurum link below and scroll to the bottom of the page. The team will reply! • The activity sheet provides ‘talking points’ (based on Bloom’s Taxonomy) to prompt students to reflect on PANTHER’s research, and tasks them to design a device that could solve a societal issue. • The animation summarises the team’s research and is accompanied by a script. 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). If you like these free resources – or have suggestions for improvements –, please let us know and leave us some feedback. Thank you!

Suitable for 14 to 19-year-olds (secondary and high schools, and college), this article and accompanying activity sheet can be used in the classroom or shared with students online. This resource links to KS4 and KS5 Chemistry, Biology, Geology and Environmental Sciences. 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 • What impact is climate change having on our oceans and the vital role they play in absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere? This teaching resource explains the work of Associate Professor Julie Trotter and Professor Malcolm McCulloch from The University of Western Australia, and Dr Paolo Montagna from the Institute of Polar Sciences in Bologna, Italy, who are investigating the complex interactions between the Southern Ocean and global climate. • This resource also contains interviews with Julie, Malcolm and Paolo. If you or your students have a question for them, you can submit it online – go to the article using the Futurum link below and scroll to the bottom of the page. The team will reply! • The activity sheet provides ‘talking points’ (based on Bloom’s Taxonomy) to prompt students to reflect on the team’s research, and tasks them to write a blog from on-board RV Falkor. 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). If you like these free resources – or have suggestions for improvements –, please let us know and leave us some feedback. Thank you!

Suitable for 14 to 19-year-olds (secondary and high schools, and college), this article and accompanying activity sheet can be used in the classroom or shared with students online. This resource links to KS4 and KS5 Biology. 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 • This teaching resource explains the work of Dr Kristina Ames, at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, USA, who has been investigating why blood production problems occur and has discovered a potential treatment that could restore the function of blood production cells. • This resource also contains an interview with Kristina. If you or your students have a question for her, you can submit it online – go to the article using the Futurum link below and scroll to the bottom of the page. Kristina will reply! • The activity sheet provides ‘talking points’ (based on Bloom’s Taxonomy) to prompt students to reflect on Kristina’s research, and tasks them to examine the structure of cells. • The animation covers the main points of Kristina’s research and is accompanied by a script. 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). If you like these free resources – or have suggestions for improvements –, please let us know and leave us some feedback. Thank you!

Suitable for 14 to 19-year-olds (secondary and high schools, and college), this article and accompanying activity sheet can be used in the classroom or shared with students online. This resource links to KS4 and KS5 Engineering, Biology and Physics. 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 • This teaching resource explains the work of Professor Christian Franck, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US, who leads the PANTHER programme, researching new ways of detecting and preventing traumatic brain injuries. • This resource also contains interviews with Christian and members of the PANTHER team, providing insights into their areas of research. If you or your students have a question for them, you can submit it online – go to the article using the Futurum link below and scroll to the bottom of the page. The team will reply! • The activity sheet provides ‘talking points’ (based on Bloom’s Taxonomy) to prompt students to reflect on PANTHER’s research, and tasks them to design a device that could solve a societal issue. • The animation summarises the team’s research and is accompanied by a script. 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). If you like these free resources – or have suggestions for improvements –, please let us know and leave us some feedback. Thank you!

Suitable for 14-19-year olds (secondary and high schools, and college), this article and accompanying activity sheet can be used in the classroom, STEM clubs and at home. This resource links to KS4 and KS5 biology and health. 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 • This resource introduces the work of the Iowa Institute for Oral Health Research, a team of dentists and dental scientists at The University of Iowa. The team is improving oral health and healthcare by investigating factors that cause dental disease. • This resource also contains an interview with team members and offers an insight into careers in dentistry and dental science. If your students have questions for the team, they can send them to them online. All they need to do is to go to the article online (see the Futurum link below), scroll down to the end and type in the question(s). The researchers will reply! • The activity sheet provides ‘talking points’ (based on Bloom’s Taxonomy) to prompt students to reflect on the team’s research and challenges them to design an oral hygiene lesson for children to teach them the importance of looking after their teeth. 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). If you like these free resources – or have suggestions for improvements –, please let us know and leave us some feedback. Thank you!

Suitable for 14 to 19-year-olds (secondary and high schools, and college), this article and accompanying activity sheet can be used in the classroom or shared with students online. This resource links to KS4 and KS5 Biology. 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 • This teaching resource explains the work of Dr Paula Agudelo, based at Clemson University in the US, and the FINDMe team who are employing cutting-edge science from a wealth of different fields to develop an array of solutions to defend crops against a particular species of nematode worm. • This resource also contains an interview with Paula. If you or your students have a question for her, you can submit it online – go to the article using the Futurum link below and scroll to the bottom of the page. Paula will reply! • The activity sheet provides ‘talking points’ (based on Bloom’s Taxonomy) to prompt students to reflect on Paula’s research, and tasks them to create a ‘how-to’ guide for farmers. 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). If you like these free resources – or have suggestions for improvements –, please let us know and leave us some feedback. Thank you!

Suitable for 14 to 19-year-olds (secondary and high schools, and college), this article and accompanying activity sheet can be used in the classroom or shared with students online. This resource links to KS4 and KS5 Food Technology and Biology. 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 • This teaching resource explains the work of Dr Alice Ammerman, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the US, who has developed a multi-pronged approach to encourage behavioural changes in people with unhealthy diets. • This resource also contains an interview with Alice. If you or your students have a question for her, you can submit it online – go to the article using the Futurum link below and scroll to the bottom of the page. Alice will reply! • The activity sheet provides ‘talking points’ (based on Bloom’s Taxonomy) to prompt students to reflect on Alice’s research, and tasks them to design a public health study. 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). If you like these free resources – or have suggestions for improvements –, please let us know and leave us some feedback. Thank you!

Thank you for downloading this free resource. Let us know how we are doing and leave us a review. Suitable for 11-18-year olds (secondary and high schools, and college), this article and accompanying activity sheet can be used in the classroom, environmental clubs and at home. This resource links to KS3 Biology: Relationships in an ecosystem; Chemistry; and KS4 Biology: Ecosystems; Chemistry: Chemical and allied industries. It is also internationally relevant. It can 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 an explanation of microplastics and how the scientists go about finding them, plus an interview with marine chemist Prof Jay Brandes and environmental educator Dodie Sanders. It also discusses the importance of citizen science in projects like this one. The activity sheet includes discussion points - eight questions the students can answer in groups or individually. There are also details of Citizen Science projects happening around that world that are open to students of all ages. 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). If you like these free resources – or have suggestions for improvements –, please let us know and leave us some feedback. Thank you!