Meet the Gene Machine
A lively drama and discussion event designed to raise awareness of the ethical implications raised by advances in medical genetics.
About Meet the Gene Machine
Meet the Gene Machine was a lively drama and discussion event designed to raise awareness of the ethical implications raised by advances in medical genetics. The project was delivered nationally between October 2006 and March 2008 funded by Wellcome Trust. Working with eight UK Science Centres, the project aimed to reach over 12,000 students, as well as their teachers.
Meet the script
The Gene Machine script has been revised and updated. If you would like to facilitate the drama and discussion in your school or youth group you can download the Meet the Gene Machine script (PDF).
Meet the Gene Machine continuing professional development resources
Meet the Gene Machine was accompanied by a continuing professional development (CPD) workshop for teachers from any discipline. Designed to help teachers consider how they can use debate and discussion skills in the classroom, the materials can also be downloaded here:
Meet the Gene Machine evaluation resources
Meet the Gene Machine was evaluated throughout the duration of the project and a full report will be available here soon. In the meantime, the resources below are examples of the evaluation materials used on this project.
You can also find resources from the Meet the Gene Machine project at the National STEM Learning Centre.
Evaluation report
Meet the Gene Machine was evaluated throughout the duration of the project. The Meet The Gene Machine: UK-wide roll out evaluation report documents the outcome of that evaluation. Below are the evaluation documents:
Meet our collaborators and advisory group
With funding from Wellcome Trust, and a variety of specialist partners, this project took 'Meet the Gene machine' across the UK.
The Science Communication Unit project team, UWE Bristol
- Professor Frank Burnet - Professor of Science Communication and Principle Investigator
- Karen Bultitude - Lecturer in Science Communication at UCL and co-Investigator
- Clare Wilkinson - Senior Lecturer in Science Communication and co-Investigator
- Laura Strieth - Project Coordinator
Partners
Meet the Gene Machine was delivered through eight key science centres in the UK, which also notes the key contact for each:
- At-Bristol - Rachel Willis
- Centre for Life, Newcastle - Noel Jackson
- Glasgow Science Centre - Steve Owens
- Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester - Suzanne Spicer
- Science Oxford - Bridget Holligan
- Techniquest, Cardiff - Joanna Harris
- Thinktank, Birmingham - Lorraine Kenny
- WhoWhatWhereWhenWhy, Belfast - Matthew Craig and James Stewart.
Advisory group
The advisory group for the project comprised:
- Ben Johnson, Science Communicator
- Dr.Anita Shaw, Science Communicator at WISE in Wales
- Kate Mathieson, Genetics Counsellor at The Nowgen Centre
- Ainsley Newsome, ethicist at the University of Bristol
- Neil Avent, geneticist at the Centre for Research in Biomedicine UWE Bristol
- Toby Hulse, Script Writer and Theatre Director
- David Weeks, Teacher at Churchill Community School.
External evaluator
- Sarah Jenkins, Jenesys Associates Ltd.