The Molecule Zone was a chemistry themed zone funded by ScotCHEM to provide places for schools in remote parts of Scotland and the north of England. Seven scientists took part from the seven major Chemistry research universities in Scotland. Shuo is a PhD student creating artificial human tissue, Neil (the winner of the zone) is a teaching fellow and researcher creating new functional molecules, Martin is an Astrochemist looking at how molecules control the universe and Leonie is a PhD student finding cheaper ways to create new compounds that can be used in medicine. Lauren is finding new ways to tackle diseases, Ciorsdaidh is a lecturer in organic chemistry who specialises in cancer research and Alan uses catalysts to make chemicals in an environmentally friendly way.
This was a quiet zone compared to the rest of the zones in March, with a lower than average number of students logging in (318). This could be because school sizes are generally smaller in remote areas, resulting in a smaller number of students in a class. There was also disruption for many schools in the area due to heavy snowfall the week before the event.
