Ignition: Editorial

A new opportunity for undergraduates and their research

Welcome to BURN. We hope you find these articles interesting and informative. All the research reported here has been carried out by undergraduate students in the University of Nottingham, School of Biosciences.

The School of Biosciences forges strong links between research and teaching, at every level of study. Each student carries out a project lasting a calendar year. It gives them an opportunity to take part in real research and to experience science at the front line, finding out new things and thinking about important problems and ideas.

The aim of BURN has been to bring this element of undergraduate work to public view in a professional and relevant way. The students represented here have risen to the challenges of doing rigorous research and presenting their work to a wider audience. Their articles show the distance they have travelled during their studies. They also demonstrate the inquiry and critical thinking skills that have been developed. As graduates, they will be able to exploit these valuable skills in their careers, whether they continue in science or whatever path they may chose.

The establishment of BURN has been a project under the Centre for Integrative Learning, one of the University of Nottingham's Centres of Excellence in Teaching and Learning. “Integrative Learning” means encouraging students to make connections between university study and the wider world, both academic and beyond. BURN exemplifies the integration of learning and research in the real world of bioscience.

The editors would like to thank all of the contributors for their efforts and in particular their speedy delivery of copy in time for this the first edition September 2006

Martin Luck, Associate Director, Centre for Integrative Learning, Associate Professor of Animal Physiology, School Of Biosciences.