The Level 2 Science for Sustainability class, went on a field trip to the University of Canterbury to look in the microbiology department and the new Ernest Rutherford building.

We arrived after a short trip in the back of a bumpy school van and were greeted by a modern day scientist called Dr Mitja Nandi Paul Remus-Emsermann who was from Germany but he had been previously living in other European countries. 

He told us about a bit about himself, then he took us into a room where lab coats were required to be worn at all times while in the lab. Dr Mitja Nandi Paul Remus-Emsermann took us into the first lab and showed us a piece of his work. We had a look in one of the flash expensive microscopes at some of the projects he and his colleagues were doing.

While looking at the second microscope that uses a laser to scan and show the bacteria on all axis, we all got to look at a petri dish with E. Coli, which was genetically engineered to become fluorescent. It was really cool seeing what is normally just very small black dots as big green things on a computer's monitor.

The class was impressed by the new Rutherford building and the open-plan design with lots of seating for students to use between classes. They particularly enjoyed the Geology room with all the displays and they were surprised at the cost of some of the equipment being used at the university.