Insights into what it’s like working in a real-life lab were made possible thanks to the exceptionally generous donation of equipment and consumables from Eppendorf, whose UK headquarters are located in Stevenage, just under 30 miles from the College. As Eppendorf are a leading supplier to the life sciences industry, students are able to experience use of high-quality equipment found in real-life labs worldwide.

The donated equipment includes multi-channel micropipettes and a temperature-controlled microcentrifuge. Students will also be using a new PCR machine to create billions of copies of DNA within just a couple of hours as they amplify their DNA barcodes.

The equipment and consumables Eppendorf have given to the College will also be used by Biology A level students during their Year 13 studies of gel electrophoresis, DNA sequencing and profiling. 

Biology at Hills Road is a highly popular A level and enrichment subject. In the 2025-26 academic year alone, over 800 students at Hills Road will be able to benefit from the equipment in some way, followed by potentially thousands more in the years to come.