This simulation can be used to demonstrate how friction causes a material to heat up and melt. It shows how when two objects are rubbed together they heat up. When one reaches the melting temperature, particles break free as the material melts away. Sample learning objectives include: *Describe a model for friction...

This Catalyst article investigates the research into artificial photosynthetic systems.

With the world’s population ever-expanding, energy demand is expected to double by 2050 and triple by 2100. In only 200 years, mankind has squandered what nature has taken hundreds of millions of years to lay down as...

Produced by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, this animation gives an overview of the process of protein synthesis and how DNA codes for proteins. It covers the major stages of the process starting with where DNA is found in the cell and how its information is transcribed into mRNA. It then follows through the...

This 3D animation shows how proteins are made in the cell from the information in the DNA code. 

This resource is part of the Post 16 genetics and genomics collection.

This Catalyst article describes how a crewed trip to Mars and back would be very demanding, both technologically and for the people involved.

This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2011, Volume 22, Issue 2.

Catalyst is a...

This Catalyst article investigates pollutants in the Arctic. Scientists are monitoring the accumulation of synthetic chemicals which are polluting the Arctic environment.

The article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2014, Volume 25, Issue 3.

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This Catalyst article investigates non-native plants which can wreak havoc in the environment and may prove very difficult to control. The article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2015, Volume 26, Issue 2.

This article focuses on the practical uses of the element Boron, including its pivotal role in heat conservation, energy conversion and storage....

A guide to 12 different engineering disciplines showing different pathways into engineering, to support students with their career decision-making.

Engineering is a diverse, wide-reaching sector and it can be hard to decide which of the many areas to pursue. In this booklet you will find an overview of...

A Catalyst article about the use of fruit flies in research about genetic diseases and in particular the study of DNA and how genes can cause disease. Scientists have studied the effects of placing new DNA into the chromosomes of fruit flies. One line of research is to utilise fruit flies with the human gene...

Fruit juice companies use a variety of different treatments and enzymes to maximise their yield. In this experiment students will investigate the effectiveness of these different enzymes.

The enzymes used are designed...

Produced by Science & Plants for Schools (SAPS), in this investigation, students look at the effectiveness of enzymes used in the commercial production of fruit juices.

Fruit juice companies use enzymes to break down the cells walls within the fruits and release the liquids and the sugars which make up...

This Building Bulletin reviews the requirements for fume cupboards used in schools and colleges for teaching the sciences, mainly chemistry and biology, up to A-level GCE. It covers the level of provision that is desirable to meet curriculum needs and makes recommendations for good practice in the design,...

Produced by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, in this activity students translate DNA sequences into a series of amino acids to discover which protein is coded for and its function.

Students are supplied with a worksheet with DNA sequences and a codon wheel to decode the codons into amino acids. The amino...

Produced by the Learning Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this case study looks at the theme of embedding functional skills. The purpose of the case study was to celebrate success and share good practice.

The study involved disseminating information and resources gained from a STEM event, followed by a...