Bishop’s University
Dr. Sarathi and her 2025 workshop. A group of adults and preteens standing outside the Johnson building on Bishop's campus, near the bus stop.

Dr. Sarathi Weraduwage Holds Workshop on Plant Biochemistry for Pre-College Students

Dr. Sarathi Weraduwage is leading a one-day workshop designed to spark interest in plant biochemistry among pre-college youth, offering an engaging introduction to the field through hands-on learning and exploration.

A group of young scientists in full technician gear (lab coats, goggles, gloves) work together in a lab with an instructor looking over them.

In Canada, less than 50% of students pursue STEM education beyond secondary school. This trend can be attributed to several factors, including limited access to active, integrated learning experiences that connect science to real-world applications and career opportunities.

To address this gap, the workshop aimed to inspire high school students with a passion for Biochemistry and specifically the role of plant biochemistry in human health and nutrition. By providing a hands-on, informal setting for students to engage one-on-one with scientists, they sought to foster a deeper enthusiasm for STEM and encourage future exploration of these fields among pre-college youth.

Students learned about:

  • important dietary antioxidants from plants and their health benefits,
  • vegetables, fruits and other plant-based foods rich in antioxidants,
  • how to extract antioxidants from food and measure the concentration,
  • how to measure the concentration of compounds by spectrophotometry, and the Beer-Lambert Law,
  • how to collect data for a standard curve and how to create one,
  • how to deduce the concentration of a compound using a standard curve,
  • how to tabulate data, create scatter plots and bar charts in Excel,
  • how to use a micropipette, a centrifuge and a spectrophotometer,
  • how to convert units of volume,
  • the importance of plant biochemistry in daily life, and
  • general lab safety protocols.

This is funded by the Centre SÈVE’s General Public Grant.


Joannie St-Germain B.Sc. ’16, M.Sc. (she/her/elle)
RESEARCH OFFICER
OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND GRADUATE STUDIES
819-822-9600 x 2242

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