Quantal Bioscience is a real microbiology research laboratory doing real research every day. And you can join us for your Science Extension research project! We have laboratory-based (on-site only) and bioinformatics-based (on-site and/or remote) projects for you to choose from. These are all real projects, with real questions we'd love to know the answer to!
STUDENTS - check out the FAQs, and the projects we are offering for this year (below), and if your school is already involved in the program please send us your application. We will then check-in with your Science Extension Teacher to make sure they support your application, and we'll need to gain permission from your parents too, before your application can be accepted.
TEACHERS - if your school isn't already registered for our Science Extension CoLAB, please take a look at the FAQs and then get in touch if you would like to discuss the program further with us.
PARENTS - yes, your child can work directly with us, and you are welcome to contact us directly about this. We will still need your school and your child's Science Extension Teacher to be supportive of your direct application.
KEY DATES:
Applications for CoLAB close end of Term 4 2024
(i.e. you can still start with us even if you miss the Zoom sessions in Term 4)
CoLAB workshop - Tues 21st and Wed 22nd Jan 2025
CoLAB Term 1 - first session - Tues 11th Feb 2025
CoLAB Term 1 - last session - Tues 1st Apr 2025
CoLAB Term 2 - first session - week starting 6th May 2025
CoLAB Term 2 - last session - week starting 24th Jun 2025
FAQs
Is my school already registered for Science Extension CoLAB ?
If you can see your school listed on this page, your school is already registered for our Science Extension CoLAB, and you can proceed with your application knowing this. We will still need to check with your Science Extension teacher and your parents for their support of your application.
Is there a cost associated with students taking part in the Science Extension CoLAB ?
Yes, there is a cost associated. The cost of students taking part is something that we discuss either with your school (when your school registers for the program) or with your parents directly (if your parents register you directly for the program, with the support of your Science Extension teacher and school).
Is the Science Extension CoLAB only for Science Extension students?
Yes, at the moment the Science Extension CoLAB is only for Science Extension students (i.e. Year 12 students studying Science Extension in NSW). However, we have lots of other CoLAB programs available to schools, and MSchool programs available to parents, where students can work with our real scientists and in our real lab. Check them out!
Will I be doing the same Science Extension project as anyone else at CoLAB?
No. Every year, we offer a range of projects, and you will be the only student doing your project. We always have more questions and projects than we will ever be able to do, so it's never a problem to find extra projects for extra students if we need to! That being said, as we are a real research lab, there are authentic connections between our projects that you can explore with our scientists and your fellow CoLAB Science Extension students, if you would like to.
Where is the CoLAB, and do I need to physically come to it each week?
Our CoLAB is located in Castle Hill - you can find all the details of where we are and how to get to us on this page. If you are doing a lab-based research project with us, you will need to physcially come to CoLAB every week. If you are doing a bioinformatics-based project with us, you will need to either come to CoLAB or join us online every week (you'll be able to mix it up - either way, you'll need your laptop).
When does CoLAB run?
CoLAB kicks off with a couple of optional (but highly recommended introductory Zoom sessions in Term 4, followed by a 2-day in-person workshop at Castle Hill in the January school holidays, and then runs for 8 weeks in each of Terms 1 and 2. During Term 1 and 2 CoLAB runs after school once per week (we decide on the best days to run, that suit the majority of students best, and in discussion with your school) for up to 2 hours, from 3.30 pm - 5.30 pm.
Can I do a Science Extension project at CoLAB that I have designed for myself, and isn't one of the project being offered (below) by Quantal Bioscience?
We absolutely encourage you to design a Science Extension project of your own, but the answer to the question is MAYBE. If you are really passionate about your project you can apply to join CoLAB, but we can only accept projects that we assess as being suitable for you to work in our laboratory with the equipment we have, and / or with our research scientists with the specialisations that we have. If the project isn't something well suited to work at and with Quantal Bioscience we will let you know, and will encourage you to find other facilities and mentors for your project.
Will I get my first choice for my Science Extension project at CoLAB ?
We will endeavour to give you your first choice of project if we can, and we will do this on a first come / first served basis. So apply as soon as you can! If your first choice of project is already taken, we will register you for your second or third choice. If all of your choices are taken we will let your Science Extension teacher know - we will keep the website updated about which projects are still available, and they can discuss these with you to see if you are interested.
Who will I be working with at CoLAB?
Meet our research scientists here, and learn a little about our real research here. Note that all of our research scientists are also experienced educators, and work with students of all ages constantly, to train the next generation of researchers. All of our team have valid Working With Children Checks.