Australian STEM Students Explore Biotechnology in Advance of The Purple Bliss Launch

Prior to the Purple Bliss Launch in Australia, student participants of the Australian Capital Territory Government Public Schools STEM Conference attended the Australian National University for a day of practical education about the future of biotechnology in Australia and the world.

They attended talks from eminent ANU researchers and PhD students, toured the campus, and participated in a thin layer chromatography laboratory practical. During the practical they extracted pigments from three colours of tomatoes and a blueberry (as a proxy for the purple tomato, as it is not yet available in Australia). Under natural and UV light they observed distinctly different banding patterns from the fruit and discussed the importance of anthocyanins, carotenoids, and lycopene to human health. 

Overall, the students left feeling energised and excited for the future of food in Australia and couldn't wait to see real purple tomatoes on the shelves!