From Bordeaux to Galway – A PhD student's insight into Cell Explorers

In November 2024, an educational visit of scientists from the University of Bordeaux and the University of the Basque Country was held in Galway. It was implemented as part of the SHARE projects supported by ENLIGHT Plus. The aim of the visit was to learn about Cell Explorers educational science outreach model and build a plan to reconstitute some aspects of it in Bordeaux and Basque country universities.

We had the pleasure to welcome 6 enthusiastic visitors who enthusiastically took on the Cell Explorers Facilitators training and participate in practical activities during Science Week and the Galway Science & Technology Festival. 

Below is the recount of the visit to Galway by Wiktoria Serafin, PhD researcher and member of the University of Bordeaux visiting team. Thank you Wiktoria for this recount of your visit to us! it was great to have you in the team!

Wiktoria (blue jumper) with the Share project partners and members of the University of Galway volunteering team.

Visit of the Cell Explorers facility at the University of Galway – recount by Wiktoria Serafin, PhD student at the University of Bordeaux in France 

In the days of 6-11 November, together with Prof. Karen Gaudin and Prof. Stéphanie Cluzet (UMR INRAE Oenology, UoB) we went to University of Galway, the main headquarters of the Cell Explorers program. We were also joined by Dr. Esther Blanco Rayón, Dr. Tifanie Briaudeau and Prof. Maren Ortiz-Zarragoitia (Research Centre for Experimental Marine Biology & Biotechnology, UPV). Visit this turned out to be rich in new, both educational and cultural experiences, due to learning and participating in the CE program in the charming Irish city.

Day 1 - November 7th 2024: Project opening and training sessions

The day after our arrival in Galway we began our visit by meeting Dr. Muriel Grenon (Cell EXPLORERS Founder and Director), Dr. Talia Arcari (Cell EXPLORERS GROWS project manager & National Coordinator) and the team of Galway Cell Explorers volunteers constituted mainly by students. We discussed the plan for the following days and were shown around the CE facility.

Before arriving in Ireland, each of us had undergone theoretical online trainings introducing us to the project, its activities, main goals and principles. Then, on site, we had the opportunity to consolidate this knowledge during the general presentation of Cell Explorers and practical workshops focusing on developing soft skills (presenting ourselves and the experiment, learning about working with children) and concerning the main CE activity conducting - Fantastic DNA (an experiment which aim is to extract DNA from banana by each child on its own). At the end of the day we had the opportunity to spend time together over dinner and walk through the charming streets of Galway city center.

Day 2 - November 8th 2024: : Delivering Fantastic DNA online session & setting up for the festival

The next day, a new challenge but also a developing experience awaited for me and Dr. Tifanie Briaudeau. We had a chance to participate in ”Fantastic DNA in a box online school visit”. It is a form of fantastic DNA activity during which CE volunteers connect with a school class, which received a box, with experiment equipment before the meeting. My role during the workshop was to support the more experienced volunteer by presenting following steps of the experiment, speaking about my scientific experiences, and answering the pupils questions. The event was observed by other candidates for volunteers to learn about its usual course. I was a bit stressed before the meeting, but the moment I saw the excitement and curiosity of children on the other side of the screen, I felt a real satisfaction of participating in it – this experience allowed me to feel more confident about my skills and abilities to carry out a scientific workshop for the young people.

Day 3 - November 9th 2024: Playing the Cell Explorers Escape Room and FDNA rehearsal

This day we participated in another of the Cell Explorers activity - the escape room. After a short introduction aiming to mention the final goal of this escape game, each of Bordeaux and Basque country teams went on really in the game. We had to solve the riddles in order to identify the patient 0 and, in this way, prevent the epidemy of a new virus. I have been in a few escape rooms before, but this one surprised me with riddles prepared in an accessible but still strongly scientific way. Additionally, each of the escape room tasks allows to learn and use real laboratory equipment, like a microscope or a multipipette. Then we discussed the plan of the next day (The start of Galway Science Week), our roles during it, and we carried out workshops rehearsal and room set up with all the cell explorers volunteers.

Day 4 - 10th of November 2024: Facilitating FDNA to the public on GSTF exhibition day

The big day of our visit! A lot of families (more than 50) gathered at the University to attend the workshops of CE at the Science Week Festival. Together with my Professors from UoB, the team of UPV and other volunteers, we carried out Fantastic DNA workshops in pairs. Each of us had an opportunity to test skills gained earlier during days spent on CE trainings. During workshops, each volunteer was introducing himself, explaining the experiment steps to children and their families, and also answering their questions. Every participant, including parents, received a piece of banana from which he was extracting DNA by himself, with the use of real laboratory equipment. DNA obtained this way was then taken home by participants as a unique scientific souvenir.

Day 5 - November 11th 2024: Ending the visit

We left Galway to come back to Bordeaux, the Basque country team returned to Bilbao. Both teams plan to run Cell Explorers activities as well as develop our own activities at our Universities. We had 2 meeting since to reflect and progress on the projects.

Conclusion and reflection:

In conclusion our visit in Galway allowed us to get to know Cell Explorers from the inside, participate in their workshops and Science Festival with aim to, far reaching, plan similar activities at our universities and expand the project to other countries.

During these few days we also had a little of time to visit Galway. We saw the city centre with its typical pubs, old church, traditional products market, Menlo Castle, Christmas market and even observed a wild seal a few times!

During the workshops, I could see both children and adults fascinated by each step of the experiment, its results and the science responsible for it. It was visible that engagement of parents allowed children to feel more confident and see their own action not as a fun only but also as a real and significant science experiment, which they were able to do 100% by themselves. The experiment is then an amazing family experience, developing participants’ knowledge about science, enabling them to get to know real laboratory equipment, and building the confidence and the ability to carry out the experiments by themselves. Cell explorers activities allows them also to meet real scientists, discuss with them and break the common stereotypes about work in science.

Equally beneficial the workshop conducting is for the volunteers. Each of us developed important soft skills of communicating, presenting ourselves, explaining science in an accessible way, answering questions and working with people in various age groups. The satisfaction and motivation coming from the joy on children faces after successfully carrying out the experiment is another aspect which can not go unmentioned.

SHARE project partners visit for the Galway Science & Technology Festival 2024. Photos by Muriel Grenon & Aengus McMahon. 1. The Share Project team is made of Dr Talia Arcari, Dr Silke Kleefeld, Porfessor Marren Ortiz, Dr Esther Blanco, Professor Stephanie Cluzet, Professor Karen Gaudin, Dr Tiffanie Briaudeau, Wiktoria Serafin, Dr Muriel Grenon, 2. Wiktoria training at Fantastic DNA, 3. & 4. Ongoing Fantastic DNA training session with the University of Galway volunteering team, 5. Wiktoria and Tiffanie supporting the delivery of Fantastic DNA in a box online, 6. the Fantastic DNA workshop team at GSTF, 7. Stephanie facilitating Fantastic DNA at GSTF, 8. Kick of project meeting with the University of Galway ENLIGHT officer Pamela Devins.

A note about the funders:

ENLIGHT plus:

Cell EXPLORERS workshops delivered at GSTF were supported by Research Ireland (Science Foundation Ireland) and the Medtronic Foundation. The operation of the National Network, development and dissemination of Fantastic DNA and Little Cells, and the development of the CE Escape Room and Science Club were supported by Science Foundation Ireland. The dissemination of the CE Escape Room and Science Club are supported by the Medtronic Foundation, under the Giving Real Opportunities to Widen participation in STEM (GROWS) project. ​

About Medtronic Foundation:

The Medtronic Foundation partners to improve lives for underserved and underrepresented populations worldwide, and support communities where Medtronic employees live and give. For more information, please

visit  medtronicfoundation.org.