New Delhi: In the month of October, Novozymes employees educated two thousand kids at ‘Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences’-KISS in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha under “Teach for Tomorrow” an initiative by Novozymes.
Biology is an important subject and it is important to show the kids how it can make a difference. The kids at KISS had an interesting day learning about the role of enzymes and microorganisms. They were very curious to learn more and asked interesting questions regarding its usage, properties and structure of enzymes.
“Teaching kids about biology was better than I could have expected. You could really feel they were very eager to learn and they had plenty of questions,” says Mr Pranjal Jyoti Goswami, Head-sustainability from Novozymes-India. He was one of the volunteers of this program.
“Biology could seem tricky for kids to wrap their heads around and to make it simple and easy for kids is a challenge. The kids were fascinated to know that the enzymes found in nature are added to laundry detergents to remove the stains from clothes. And that the enzymes can also convert waste to biofuels-which can power their cars. They were simply amazed by the facts”, says Ms Upasana Sahu, Senior Research Associate, Novozymes-India.
During European Biotech Week, Novozymes has launched the “Teach for Tomorrow” initiative. The goal is to teach about biology and uses of enzymes to students from second to sixth grade. It is a global initiative and Novozymes own employees are encouraged to teach in local schools and introduce children to the fascinating world of enzymes and microorganisms. Both scientists and non-scientists have participated on a voluntary basis in this initiative.
Fact box: What are enzymes?
Enzymes are proteins, and in nature they initiate biochemical reactions in all living organisms. It is enzymes that convert the food in our stomachs to energy and turn the falling leaves in the forest to compost. Novozymes finds enzymes in nature and optimize them for use in industry. In industry, enzymes replace chemicals and accelerate production processes. They help the company’s customers make more from less, while saving energy and generating less waste.
