2024/04/25

CIC bioGUNE participates in the science outreach festival "Science is Wonderful" in Brussels

The annual science outreach festival "Science is Wonderful", held in Brussels from April 25th to 26th, aims to bring cutting-edge science closer to young scientists from Europe.

Researcher Klaudia Sobczak, from the Cancer Glycoimmunology group and the Chemical Glycobiology group at CIC bioGUNE, participates in experimental workshops to disseminate the research of GLYTUNES.

The Cooperative Research Center in Biociences (CIC bioGUNE), member of BRTA, participates in the European science outreach festival "Science is Wonderful", organized by the European Commission. This annual event, held from April 25th to 26th in the city of Brussels, aims to bring cutting-edge science closer to young scientists from all over Europe, showcasing the impact and value of research projects funded through the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) as part of Horizon Europe.

Researcher Klaudia Sobczak, doctoral candidate from the Cancer Glycoimmunology Lab & Chemical Glycobiology group at CIC bioGUNE, participates along with Iakovia Ttoffi, doctoral candidate from the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology and Iceni Glycoscience in the United Kingdom, in a series of workshops aimed at showcasing the research developed within the framework of GLYTUNES. This innovative platform focuses on understanding and exploiting the interaction between Siglecs, proteins present in immune cells that bind to sialic acid, and glycoconjugates. GLYTUNES combines chemical, biological, biophysical, and immunological research strategies to translate this knowledge into new diagnostic and therapeutic tools against immune and infectious diseases.

At the event, researchers actively engage by organizing six activities aimed at involving the public in hands-on experiments regarding the creation of sugars and proteins:

• DNA extraction: Learn about the origin of DNA and its role in protein production.
• Production of fluorescent proteins: A video presentation showcasing the production of fluorescent proteins, illustrating how DNA is transformed into proteins.
• Sugar strip tests: Conduct tests using various samples from different sodas to measure their sugar content.
• Salt crystal formation: Demonstrate the process of determining protein structure through crystallography.
• Blood group crafts: Engage the audience in building their own blood groups using shapes and colors representing different sugars.
• Interactive puzzles: Present protein and sugar puzzles to demonstrate how each protein selectively binds to a specific sugar.

For more information about "Science is Wonderful", visit the program's official website.

About CIC bioGUNE

The Centre for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), member of the Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA), located in the Bizkaia Technology Park, is a biomedical research organisation conducting cutting-edge research at the interface between structural, molecular and cell biology, with a particular focus on generating knowledge on the molecular bases of disease, for use in the development of new diagnostic methods and advanced therapies.

About BRTA

BRTA is an alliance of 4 collaborative research centres (CIC bioGUNE, CIC nanoGUNE, CIC biomaGUNE y CIC energiGUNE) and 13 technology centres (Azterlan, Azti, Ceit, Cidetec, Gaiker, Ideko, Ikerlan, Leartiker, Lortek, Neiker, Tecnalia, Tekniker y Vicomtech) with the main objective of developing advanced technological solutions for the Basque corporate fabric.

With the support of the Basque Government, the SPRI Group and the Provincial Councils of the three territories, the alliance seeks to promote collaboration between the research centres, strengthen the conditions to generate and transfer knowledge to companies, contributing to their competitiveness and outspreading the Basque scientific-technological capacity abroad.

BRTA has a workforce of 3,500 professionals, executes 22% of the Basque Country's R&D investment, registers an annual turnover of more than 300 million euros and generates 100 European and international patents per year.

Spanish version