The paper presented at ALT-C this week describes our success with creating a virtual lab that students felt added to their learning experience of Biochemistry and Genetics. The second SWIFT experiment takes place later this year, and builds on our work to date. A new lab has been created in Second Life, this time large enough to hold up to 27 students simultaneously, each with their own lab space. Students will be able to run simulated genetic tests and learn about the process of testing samples.

The extra functionality needed for this virtual experience will be created for us by an external provider. We are pleased to say that, after a careful selection process, Daden Limited has been chosen for this work. We believe Daden's experience and capabilities make them well suited for the task, and look forward to working with Daden on the next part of this exciting project.

Paul Rudman