Liam Mcmulkin, a second year life sciences student at the University of Dundee, UK, was facing a translational problem; as a deaf student, the dearth of complex scientific terms available in British Sign Language (BSL) was making life difficult. “My interpreter has to fingerspell words. Can you imagine sitting in a class, with your lecturer unable to pronounce complex scientific terms?” asks Mcmulkin. “They would have to speak out an individual letter a time. For example, D-E-O-X-Y-R-I-B-O-N-U-C-L-E-O-T-I-D-E. How frustrating would it be to have these complex terms spelled out individually over twenty times in an hour-long lecture? Also, fingerspelling can be misleading – deoxyribonucleotide and deoxyribonucleoside are spelled almost the same – and that could result in a potential hazard to students. The lack of complex scientific terms in BSL also means it’s rare to see users communicating with each other about science.”

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About the Author

Roisin McGuigan

I have an extensive academic background in the life sciences, having studied forensic biology and human medical genetics in my time at Strathclyde and Glasgow Universities. My research, data presentation and bioinformatics skills plus my ‘wet lab’ experience have been a superb grounding for my role as a deputy editor at Texere Publishing. The job allows me to utilize my hard-learned academic skills and experience in my current position within an exciting and contemporary publishing company.