Primary school gets STEM books from first company in UK to use Nobel prize winning DNA technology

A primary school has been given 50 science, technology, engineering and Maths (STEM) books from one of the UK’s first-in-human clinical trials companies for world stem day.

Richmond Pharmacology, is an international research company based in Newcomen Street, next to Tower Bridge.

To mark the global event on November 8, co-founders Dr Jorg Taubel and Dr Ulrike Lorch visited their companies neighbouring primary school, Snowsfields Primary in Kirby Grove, to hand over the books for children of all year groups in the STEM areas.

Co-headteacher of Snowsfields Primary, Zohra Benotmane, said: “At Snowsfields, we believe that the best way to engage children with reading, and with the curriculum more generally, is by giving them access to high-quality texts.

“We are in the process of trying to build up class sets of books that can be used in lessons so that each child can access the words on the page easily and experience the joy of holding, reading, and learning from a book.

“This is an expensive process, particularly when it comes to non-fiction titles around science, engineering, and mathematics.

“These books will go directly into the hands of our children and benefit several generations to come.” 

Richmond Pharmacology conducts 20 per cent of the overall number of phase one clinical trial studies in the UK and was the first in the world to successfully treat a patient using a Nobel-prize winning genome editing treatment – CRISPR-Cas.

Genome editing is a type of genetic engineering that allows DNA to be inserted, deleted or modified from a living organism. 

Dr Ulrike Lorch said: “We’re deeply committed to our area – it’s history, character and being so central make it a great place to work and for all our thousands of volunteers and patients to come for trials. 

“We hope the Snowsfields STEM books will inspire many young minds over the years ahead.”

Pictured top: From back left, Dr Ulrike Lorch and Dr Jorg Taubel co-founders of Richmond Pharmacology, James Rickard, chief scientific officer of Richmond Research Institute with Co-headteacher Zohra Benotmane, teacher Oliver Tull, and children from Snowsfields Primary (Picture: Richmond Pharmacology)