Today, we were excited to welcome eight school pupils for a hands-on introduction to cutting-edge biomedical research—guided by the principles of Replace, Reduce, Refine (3R).
Throughout the day, participants explored a series of interactive demos designed to make complex science tangible:
🔬 “Muscle-in-a-dish”:
Observed how ex vivo muscle fibers respond to a calcium pulse under the microscope, revealing the fundamentals of muscle contraction in real time.
🍽️ Cultivated meat – food of the future?
Discussed how lab-grown meat and fish can be produced using serum-free media, and what this means for sustainability and animal-free research.
🫁 3D printing of tissue models:
Using 3D printing pens, participants recreated enlarged structures of alveolar lung tissue—turning microscopic architecture into something they can build and understand.
🧫 Tumor histology up close:
Performed staining of tissue sections and explored how precision-cut tissue slices are cultured, treated with therapeutics, and processed for microscopic analysis.
📱 DIY microscopy:
Built mini microscopes and captured images of stained tumor sections directly with a smartphone.
By combining hands-on experimentation with real research applications, we aim to spark curiosity and show how innovative, human-relevant models are shaping the future of biomedical science.
A big thanks to everyone who made it possible!