Notable presence of IGTP researchers at European Researchers' Night

Several researchers from Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP) took part in this year's European Researchers' Night in Barcelona. They shared their passion for science through talks and led participants of a workshop via a board game into the midst of a tuberculosis epidemic.

The European Researchers' Night is an event aimed at bringing research, innovation, and the people behind it closer to the general public. It is held simultaneously every year in over 30 countries across Europe. Last year in Catalonia alone, more than 200 activities were organised, including talks, workshops, experiments, performances, and games.

IGTP is strongly committed to making its research accessible to society. To this end, it promotes and participates in various outreach activities such as laboratory tours, school talks, or a podcast. Among these initiatives is the European Researchers' Night, an excellent opportunity for researchers to engage with everyone, whether children, young people, or adults.

This year, IGTP researchers participated in science communication talks, and a research group organised a workshop where they introduced their own board game about tuberculosis.

Genetics is easy, or so they told us: the complexity of our genes

On Wednesday, 25 September, Xavier Farré from the GCAT'Genomes for Life team gave a talk on genetic variants and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) at Casa Golferichs. He explained the complexity behind these studies, how they can be useful in predicting diseases, and the challenges they face.

Farré emphasised the importance of communicating science: "A lot of high-quality research is done in this country, and participating in initiatives like the European Researchers' Night is important for scientists, as it allows us to share knowledge, foster interest in science, and enrich our ability to communicate and connect with society".

A rare disease: idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Raquel Guillamat, leader of the Lung Immunity Translational Research Group, gave a micro-talk at Vil·la Urània on 27 September. She highlighted the challenges faced by patients and healthcare professionals in dealing with rare diseases, focusing specifically on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive lung condition that affects patients' breathing capacity and quality of life. She discussed risk factors, challenges in diagnosis and treatment, and the latest advances in research and therapies.

Guillamat had a very positive view of the session, noting that "the audience was very proactive, asking the speakers many questions. It was a great opportunity to connect not only with adults but also with children, as there was a family-friendly atmosphere". She also praised the organisation: "They were excellent, and the reception at Vil·la Urània as well".

Workshop on the threat of tuberculosis: the game

Five early-career researchers (Mariona Cortacans, Pablo Soldevilla, Maria Vidal, Kaori Levy da Fonseca, and Diego Emilio Aznar) from the Experimental Tuberculosis Unit (UTE) at IGTP and Germans Trias Hospital, led by Dr Cristina Vilaplana, have developed a cooperative board game about tuberculosis. Their goal is to spread basic knowledge of the disease to the general public in a fun and interactive format. The first units of the game, titled "Amenaça Tuberculosi" (Tuberculosis Threat) and aimed at anyone over 14 years old, were produced with the support of the Department of Research and Universities of the Catalan Government through the project 2021SGR00920 and a solidarity rounding-up campaign by CONDIS supermarkets.

The board game was presented for the first time at the Montbau Library in Barcelona on 27 September during the European Researchers' Night. "The workshop was a success; we didn't expect such a warm reception", the creators say. This enthusiastic response have convinced them that they have a valuable tool, as Mariona Cortacans notes: "This is just the beginning for 'Amenaça Tuberculosi' as a fun and educational resource. The European Researchers' Night was only the start". Several schools across the country have already expressed interest in organising a workshop for their students, and the Experimental Tuberculosis Unit is already working on it while seeking additional funding to make this project as broad and inclusive as possible.

Studying how tumour cells survive treatment

On the same Friday, 27 September, Oskar Marín Béjar and Laura Torres Ribas from the Oncology Translational Research (OTR) Group gave a talk at CosmoCaixa on resistance to cancer treatments. They explained the mechanisms tumour cells use to evade therapies and the challenges faced by researchers in the field.

Marín had a positive view of the experience: "I have always believed that scientists should share the advances in our research lines. This way, we can inspire more people to take an interest in science and help continue progressing. Moreover, sharing the activity with predoctoral researcher Laura Torres was a very enriching experience".

The first activities have been driven by the NitRecerCat2425 project, co-funded by the European Union's Horizon Europe program. The project is coordinated by Associació Catalana de Comunicació Científica, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Universitat de Barcelona, Universitat de Girona, Universitat de Lleida, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Universitat de Vic, Fundació Bofill and Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. It also receives support from Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Fundació Catalana per la Recerca i la Innovació, Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca and Associació Catalana d'Universitats Públiques.

The talk at CosmoCaixa was promoted by the project "RESEARCH NIGHT: BRINGING RESEARCHERS INTO THE LIGHT", funded by the European Union's Marie Sklodowska-Curie actions. This initiative is organised by Esciencia and the "la Caixa" Foundation, in collaboration with Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer and its scientific foundation.