SPARQ-ed Brisbane

By Pia Plath, Year 10

Over the mid-semester holidays, I had the incredible opportunity to travel to Brisbane to participate in a program known as Students Performing Advanced Research Queensland Education, or SPARQ-ed for short. This program is at Princess Alexander Hospital within the Translational Research Institute.
Before I tell you about my experience with SPARQ-ed, let me tell you how I ended up there. During a science class last year, Mr. Bamber introduced SPARQ-ed and encouraged us to consider applying.  Initially hesitant, I eventually decided to give it a shot when applications reopened a year later. With a teacher’s recommendation and a few paragraphs explaining my interest, I applied.  A few months later, I received the news that I had been accepted.
Fast forward six weeks, and I found myself in Brisbane. The first day was daunting as I discovered I was the only Year 10 student and only person from North Queensland. Fortunately, I had nothing to worry about as all the 11 and 12 students were very welcoming. In fact, meeting the other students was one of the highlights of the program.
Our focus during the program was on treating cancer cells by targeting their rapid replication. Interesting fact: this is why your hair falls out during chemotherapy because your hair cells are also constantly replicating so the chemotherapy targets these cells. On the first day, we familiarised ourselves with the lab equipment. Later that day, we began administering chemotherapy to the cancer cells we were studying, aiming to deplete the number of nucleotides in the nucleus.
On day two, we introduced a drug known as Chek1 inhibitor to the cells. By inhibiting Chek1, we allow the DNA helicase to continue unwinding DNA into more vulnerable single strands.
On day three, we conducted staining procedures, attaching fluorescent antibodies to different locations in the cell for microscopic examination. This was my favorite day as we spent all day in the lab working with the cancer cells.
Day four involved analyzing our cells under a microscope. Our cancer cells were examined under a microscope worth half a million dollars.
On day five, our final day, we presented our findings to numerous professors who had given presentations to use earlier in the week.
After taking part in SPARQ-ed, you can submit a report that may earn you an ATAR point for any University of Queensland course. If travel expenses are a concern, scholarships are available from the Lions Medical Research Foundation.
 I would wholeheartedly recommend this program to anyone interested in science. The opportunity to engage directly with cutting-edge research that is pushing the boundaries of scientific knowledge is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.