This term, to support Year 13 Chemistry students in learning the NCEA assessment on spectroscopy, we arranged a tour and seminar with a local company that manufactures and sells a specialised spectroscopy instrument.

Syft Technologies is a now-global company started and based right here in Ōtautahi, Aotearoa. Its technology was originally developed at University of Canterbury. Our students learned how the machine works, had the opportunity to test the sensitivity of the machine in detecting chemicals present in lollies as flavour compounds, and received a tour of the manufacturing floor in a clean room setting – thus the cool garb. Students found it interesting to see how chemistry learning is applied in a real-world setting.