“Every day, every second our immune cells make decisions to activate or not active, every time they make a decision the outcome is life or death”.

“We are investigating the molecular switch that spurs T-cells into action”.

Kat Gaus is showing schoolgirls how exciting immunology can be… and inspiring the next generation of female scientists.

Describing her work in terms of the 1980’s computer game “Pacman” this video is one of a series that UNSW has prepared to show schoolgirls some of the cool career opportunities available in science.

“A career in science opens up a whole new world of possibilities,” says Kat.

“For example, using our super resolution microscopes we are able to see interactions between single molecules inside a live cells, which is leading us to change the whole concept of molecular biology.”

The Science 50:50 program, which produced the videos, aims to inspire Australian girls and young women to pursue degrees and careers in science and technology, so they can succeed in an innovation-driven future.

You can watch the other videos at: www.science.unsw.edu.au/50-50/media

And read more about the program here: www.science.unsw.edu.au/50-50