The next generation of superheroes are in the making. It's not quite crash!, wallop!, POW!*! more of a uh-oh that's not going to work, hmm this might feasible, ......yeaaaah eureka!

Around 100 school pupils in Scotland are teaming up with bioengineers to create their own superheroes, in a scheme to make science and engineering more appealing. This new approach to teaching and learning uses the popular topic of superheroes to engage, educate and inspire exploration.

The release of major blockbuster movies, such as Spider-Man and the Incredibles, has renewed interest in superheroes but few have super powers that are conceivable today. Usually the science of superheroes is determined by artists and writers. This project takes a very different approach. The pupils will design superheroes with their special powers based on biomedical science.

The project is aimed at pupils in primary seven and first year at secondary school. The pupils, bioengineering students and teachers are developing a resource pack, which will allow other pupils, teachers and parents to learn about current biomedical technologies and explore future possibilities. A storyboard artist will develop comic strips with the pupils to bring their super powers to life.

The project is funded by NESTA (the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) and run by the Bioengineering Unit at the University of Strathclyde.

Funding and Sponsors