Teddies Talks Biology - Issue 9

Dear Readers,

The past eighteen months have seen global disruption on a perhaps unprece- dented scale – and all due to a biological phenomenon!

I think it is safe to say that we at Teddies have weathered the storm remarka- bly well, thanks to all the collective efforts to keep school going, while limiting the spread of the virus within the school community. Inevitably, as people involved in education, we have seen this as a tremen- dous opportunity for learning. To both highlight and encourage this, the Ted- dies Talks Biology team decided to compile this Special Issue on Viruses & Vaccines . A range of pupils have produced articles on zoonoses (diseases spread from animals to humans), the immune response, vaccines and vaccine hesitancy. Of particular interest is a fascinating article by 4 th Form pupil Tom Phillips on a beneficial use of viruses, and an immunologically - inspired piece of creative writing by Upper 6 th pupil Mashia Jaafari. The issue closes off with an experimental evaluation of the environmental impact of waste produced during the pandemic, by 4 th Form Applied Science pupil Douggie Campbell. In reading this collection of articles, it should be noted that we learn more each day about coronaviruses, and so any information and opinions shared in these pages should not be taken as the final word on the matter. For sound scientific advice regarding Covid - 19 and vaccination readers should explore the resources of bodies such as the World Health Organisation and Public Health England .

With that proviso in place, we hope that you will enjoy our latest issue, and maybe learn a few things along the way. Happy reading!

Best regards, 

Mr Cazabon & the TTB Team

Teddies Talks Biology I Issue 9 I June 2021

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