The IB Group 4 science project is a collaborative activity where students from different science courses work together on a common scientific or technological topic and its aim is to “encourage an understanding of the relationships between scientific disciplines and the overarching nature of the scientific method” (as stated in the official IBO guide). This year’s Group 4 project, took place between Thursday, April 15 and Wednesday, April 21 with the participation of all Grade 11 Biology, Chemistry and Physics students and their teachers, Dr. Squires and Mr. Terzidis.

During the first two days, Thursday, April 15 and Friday, April 16, students visited research laboratories at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. They had the opportunity to visit the FTIR Spectroscopy laboratory in the Physics Department, where they were introduced to the concepts of bioactive materials used for bone and teeth implants and their study through infrared spectroscopy. Students prepared samples of bioactive materials (bioglass) and obtained their infrared spectra in order to investigate how their chemical composition and structure changes in conditions that simulate the environment in a human body. They also visited the Pathology and Animal Genetics laboratories of the Veterinary Medicine Department, where they prepared tissue samples for microscopy and examined DNA sequences using gel electrophoresis. Students were also given a tour of the central university library, departmental libraries and the thin films and nanotechnology laboratory of the Physics department.

On the way back to school on Friday, students were introduced to the resources of the Bissell Library that are available to all IB diploma students. On Monday and Tuesday all students did some additional research, discussed their results and prepared the presentation of their work, which took place during seminar time on Wednesday.