Oxford Nanopore Education
Oxford Nanopore is working with educators to provide life science literacy for the next generation. If you're interested in becoming a part of this, read more about our Education Beta programme
Why Oxford Nanopore Education?
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Oxford Nanopore Education aims to make a profound impact on society by embracing inclusivity and equipping the next generation in pursuit of Oxford Nanopore Technologies's vision: to enable to analysis of anything, by anyone, anywhere.
By upskilling future scientists and technologists we enable them to address and overcome some of the world’s most pressing challenges, utilising tools previously unavailable to student populations. This aligns closely with our corporate values for accessible and equitable science driven by a Community of passionate, inquisitive and engaged individuals.
Our goals for education are approached through two methods:
We enable our Community, helping to amplify their efforts in the classroom brought about through utilising their creativity and personal interests
We partner with education institutions, combining their expertise with our unique toolset to provide opportunities not previously available to student populations
Through this we look to enhance the skills of students at undergraduate level and below, creating a better future for us all.
Education from the Nanopore Community
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Jon Hale: Daffodil DNA
This school-level project was created and lead by teacher Jon Hale on the Island of Jersey. Brought to life through collaboration with The University of Dundee, The Royal Society and The James Hutton Institute, schools across Scotland and now England are sequencing novel chloroplast genomes using living collections from the National Trust for Scotland Brodie Castle and Croft 16. You can learn more about the results of the project and how to get involved here.
Ashley Beck: Nanopore sequencing in the undergraduate classroom
Nanopore sequencing provides an excellent platform for integrating education and research, and in this example was applied by Ashley Beck of Carroll College, Montanan for undergraduate students to investigate environmental impacts on microbial diversity using the MinION device. Projects focused on a mining-contaminated river, a lead-contaminated smelter site, and local drinking water.
The resultant work highlighted the 16S composition results, but also reported on the student experience through survey analysis, identifying key themes regarding technical ability and perception of research.
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Fauzan Ahmad: Microbial genomics class in Malaysia
Dr. Hajar Fauzan Ahmad has been leading the way at the University Malaysia Pahang through inclusion of the Flongle and MinION in the institution's Undergraduate Microbial Genomics course. His work with students has also been featured on national Malaysian television, and he continues to develop the skills of his lab and students with further developments focused around nanopore sequencing — including inviting them to bring samples in from home!
Education Beta
For years now, progressive scientific educators have been aligning nanopore sequencing with their pedagogical aims, enabling students from high school age to undergraduate to investigate the world around them. Education Beta is the pilot education programme from Oxford Nanopore, building a community to bring educators together, and giving access to education-tailored pricing for a focused range of products. After a closed phase of learning and collaboration with >50 educators, Education Beta is now open to receive applications for those who wish to use nanopore sequencing in high school or undergraduate settings.
Please contact us to request admission to the programme.
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Collaborations
Oxford Nanopore intends to collaborate with visionary, disruptive genomic education groups and institutions, to pair their education expertise with our unique technology. Notable collaborations include:
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory DNA Learning Center
Oxford Nanopore and The CSHL DNA Learning Center are collaborating on the development of accessible educational infrastructure. Intended work within the collaboration shall focus on optimising educational tools that integrate Oxford Nanopore’s uniquely accessible sequencing technology, and integration of nanopore sequencing into both national and international educator training, with prioritisation for institutions serving historically excluded students. Read more about this collaboration.
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Resources
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Made by others
The CSHL DNA Learning Center have curated and published a community-authored guide to integrating Oxford Nanopore DNA sequencing into hands-on educational experiences. Fully comprehensive, this is an invaluable resource for educators looking to implement Oxford Nanopore sequencing.
Made by Oxford Nanopore
A wealth of information on our technology's applications already exists in our Resource Centre. For educators seeking introductory materials on our technology for use in their courses, we have hosted content on the TES website.
iGEM
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The annual iGEM competition presents the opportunity for students to participate in the world's biggest synthetic biology competition. Oxford Nanopore recognises the benefits of supporting the competition and its substantial impact on those who take part. While we cannot provide monetary grants to teams, we can provide support through donation of products, as well as technical and scientific support.
To ensure we handle enquiries in a fair and consistent manner we have initiated an iGEM Support Programme. We invite you to submit applications detailing how nanopore sequencing will help deliver your team’s visionary experimental goals. Please note we are unable to provide financial grants or sponsorship, instead offering product and scientific support.
For full details and to apply please follow the link below. Applications close midnight (UK) on 25th April 2025.
Training options
Oxford Nanopore Education is designed for educators working with students at undergraduate level and below — providing products and a Community to bring sequencing into the classroom.
If you are a professional working with our technology and are looking for training, we offer a suite of options including virtual, on-site, and multi-day packages, along with IQ/OQ/PQ validations. Full details of the training we have available can be found in our store.
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