Jointly Reported by:
Louise Kaien Too Sr2ScC
Photography by:
Kuen Cheng Photography Club
On 24th June 2023, Kuen Cheng High School organised a seminar titled “Introduction to Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)” for Senior Middle Two science stream students. The seminar was presented by Miss Mohana Priya from Canvio, a Biomedical Science graduate with a specialisation in Microbiology and five years of working experience at Sunway Medical Centre.
The seminar commenced with an ice-breaking activity, where selected students came on stage to introduce themselves to Miss Mohana. This interactive start added an amusing touch to the seminar.
Students sharing their hobby with Miss Mohana
Miss Mohana covered various aspects of PCR, including the definition of nucleic acid, an explanation of PCR, applications of PCR, and the underlying chemistry involved. She emphasised that PCR is a laboratory technique used to rapidly amplify millions to billions of copies of a specific deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) segment. She also mentioned that PCR was invented by Mr. Kary Banks Mullis, providing historical context to the topic.
Miss Mohana sharing information with the listeners
Additionally, Miss Mohana delved into the details of the thermal cycler, a laboratory apparatus used to amplify DNA segments through PCR, and explained the workflow of using it. She also touched upon real-time PCR, highlighting its differences from normal PCR, its advantages, and its applications.
Following the informative session, a surprise quiz was conducted by Miss Mohana. She asked a total of 20 questions, which were all answered correctly by the attentive listeners. This was followed by a Q & A section, where students had the opportunity to ask their own questions, leading to interesting and engaging discussions.
Q & A Section
In the end, the seminar concluded with a group photo, marking the successful end of the event. The students were delighted with the refreshing knowledge they gained throughout the seminar.
Group photo