Last Sunday, April 27, the Institute for Research in Biomedicine of Buenos Aires participated in this cultural initiative that takes place every year in the city of Buenos Aires, in order to bring science closer to the community.
The Institute for Research in Biomedicine of Buenos Aires (IBioBA, CONICET-Max Planck), was present at the 49th edition of the International Book Fair, which is held every year at the fairgrounds of La Rural, in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. Invited by CONICET’s VocAr Program, the Institute was part of the program at the “Zona Explora” stand.
IBioBA’s proposal was that, through scientific and playful experiences, participants could approach some of the questions that guide the Institute’s research: there were three tables to answer questions such as: Why do we sleep? How does information travel from the outside world to the brain? How do our neurons connect? How is all this studied? And what is the use of knowing it?
The stand “The road to discovery: why biomedicine is important?” showed the different research models that exist and are used at IBioBA for basic science research, from cell cultures to whole organisms, and how they help to travel the long road from an idea to the development of therapies or drugs. Through microscopes, participants were able to observe different types of cells, neurons and organoids; the advantages of the different research models were discussed, and it was explained what biomedicine is for and why it is important.
The other two tables addressed topics related to neuroscience. At the booth “The fascinating journey of stimuli between neurons”, the public was able to perform two perception experiences to understand how sensory information travels between neurons, and through their own experience, understand how the brain processes the information we receive from the outside through the senses. At the last table (“Everything you need to know about genetics and sleep: do flies look like us?”), it was shown how the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, helps answer the question of why we sleep. There were lab magnifiers to observe mutant flies and understand their different behaviors and a survey to learn about each visitor’s biological clock”.
In addition, a workshop space was offered so that those who dared could draw how they imagine cells or bacteria inside a petri dish.
It was a great space for meeting and dialogue with people of different ages, but with great interest in learning about what is being done at the institute.