NEWS Umeå researcher Kemal Avican participated in Curiosum's researcher's night within the ForskarFredag initiative September 27th. Kemal and his team adapted a VR simulation tool developed with InfraVis into an outreach prototype for exploring bacteria with children. Here Kemal shares his experience of the event and offers some tips for inspiring children in science.
Kemal Avican and Sena Gizen Süer guide a child in building a 3D bacteria in VR during ForskarFredag
Image GABRIELLE BEANSIt was amazing to see kids queuing and patiently waiting for a long time to see the bacteria!
"We generated a 3D model of bacteria within a Metaverse environment in collaboration with Mattis Lindmark from Humlab, Umeå University and InfraVis. This was a pilot project to simulate gene expression regulation in pathogenic bacteria under different conditions. We then realized this could be a great pedagogical tool for teaching bacterial genetics and physiology. We created this prototype of 3D bacteria for the public to see what happens in different compartments of bacteria when they face changes in the environment."
"I was happy to see the huge interest in the organization, reflecting the curiosity in society. At our station, I expected some interest since kids enjoy 3D games, but the enthusiasm was beyond my expectations. It was amazing to see kids queuing and patiently waiting for a long time to see the bacteria."
"After the event, I felt incredibly satisfied and proud of my team and collaborators. It was rewarding to see the high level of interest andengagement from the public, especially the kids. Their enthusiasm and curiosity about our 3D bacteria model paid off the work we put into the project."
"I learned that younger kids are incredibly adept at building bacteria in the Metaverse. Their creativity seems less constrained by the rules of our reality, which often limits our own creativity. This experience showed me how important it is to create an environment where imagination can grow without limits."
"Be ready for a large number of visitors, especially kids who are eager to learn and interact. Break down complex scientific ideas into simpler, more digestible pieces to make them accessible to a broader audience and use tools that kids love."
ForskarFredag creates meeting places and dialogue between researchers and the public, shows what science is, how research is done and how fun, exciting and close to everyday research can be. ForskarFredag is the Swedish science festival connected to European Researcher's Night. In Umeå an open house is organized by Curiosum on the last Friday in September, and the public is invited to explore and meet researchers.
