![]() The history of antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance – this article and associated interactive timeline cover the development and discoveries of antimicrobials and antibiotics and then the subsequent development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).Age of the Earth – a look at some of the historical aspects in finding out the age of the Earth.Advanced ceramics – the history of ceramics and the advancements in engineering and medical frontiers made using ceramics.1080 and pest control – the history and science of mammalian pest control in New Zealand.These are some timelines to explore on the Hub: Our Solar System – revolutionary ideas is a resource that traces the major shift from an Earth-centred view of the Universe to a Sun-centred one – starting with Ptolemy in the second century CE. The discoveries and ideas within these timelines feed into the discoveries around natural satellites and orbits, which in turn relate to the timeline of rocket technology. ![]() For example, the microscopy timeline details developments in microscopes and telescopes, which have played an important role in planet hunting and the discovery of extrasolar planets. Students might like to combine two or more timelines to understand the way developments in different fields might interact. They provide a useful overview of a topic, a way to explore the development of a scientific idea or new technology and insights into the relationships between scientific and technological developments, and they highlight the importance of some of science’s ‘big ideas’. Timelines exploring the development of scientific ideas over time provide many opportunities for teaching and learning. If I have seen further, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants. This is what Sir Isaac Newtonseemed to refer to in a 1676 letter to fellow scientist (and rival) Robert Hooke. So next time you see a headline about a breakthrough medicine, remember that it’s not a single event or discovery but a series of developments that have led to the new breakthrough. Otago University geneticist Associate Professor Julia Horsfield points out that, without genome sequencing or the discovery of the structure of DNA and the principles of sequencing DNA, her work investigating how chromosome structure and development affects the function of genes involved in cancer would not be possible. Watch this video to find out why Dr Julia Horsfield, sees herself as part of a wave of advancing scientific knowledge and why she believes collaboration is so important. It might be that they continue and grow the work of the scientists who have mentored and supervised them or that they build on prior discoveries – both recent and historical. Scientists today build on the knowledge and discoveries made by others. For example, where would computer technology be today without the development of the silicon chip in 1959 and then advanced ceramic versions of it? How long would it have taken humans to learn more about disease if Antonie van Leeuwenhoek hadn’t scraped some gunk off his teeth to examine under a microscope? Microscopy developments have accelerated learning around microorganisms, cells and inorganic materials, enabling great advances in fields from human health and medicine to materials science and space travel. Tying in stories of science in history and scientific breakthroughs can offer engaging opportunities for further exploration and learning. After the DNA extractions, we next undertook metabolite extractions, which were to be shipped to Manchester for mass spectrometry.Portrait of Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632–1723) by Jan Verkolje. Within a week, I had a good grasp of all the steps involved in the experiment and together with the postdocs we were able to work through more than 200 faecal specimens. It sent waves of excitement among all the laboratory staff in my team. Everyone was amazed by the intricacies of the extraction process, especially the unique whirring sounds of the newly unveiled bead beater from the University of Manchester. After a quick acclimatization by the visitors to my laboratory, we were able to start on the DNA extractions. I could not stop pinching myself at the idea that the microbiome and metabolomics work, both nascent research fields in Uganda, was going to be done in my home laboratory. Akin to one’s first day at school, I was very eager to begin the experiments that I had read about in peer-reviewed journals. Following a weekend rest for the visitors came the long-awaited jittering Monday.
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