CATRIN has participated in the Week of the Academy of Sciences

Guided tours of the laboratories and a lecture at Fort Science for high school students were organized by CATRIN as part of this year’s Week of Academy of Sciences, the largest event in the country to promote science. High-school students from Příbor, Český Těšín, Vsetín, Uherský Brod as well as Olomouc visited Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute.

At CATRIN – CRH, the students learned why research of economically important plants or editing the genome of plants is crucial. They found out how automation helps scientists and why chemical plant analysis are conducted. They looked at fireflies and other insects, and researchers explained how they can make mapping of insect species diversity by using state-of-the-art DNA sequencing methods more efficient.

Dominik Kusý and Michal Motyka from the Biodiversity and Molecular Evolution Group also addressed this topic in a lecture held at Fort Science with the participation of students from Olomouc high schools. “It is always great to have the opportunity to present your research. We really enjoyed the discussion with high school students about bugs and obstacles in fieldwork in remote places,” Dominik Kusý commented on the event.

The excursion called Exploring a world of small dimensions but large possibilities, which revealed what nanoparticles can do and how they can be used to the visitors of CATRIN-RCPTM, also attracted quite a crowd.

The Week of the Academy of Sciences is a science festival that seamlessly follows the former Week of Science and Technology. It includes lectures, exhibitions, documentary films, workshops, and many other activities across the entire country and through all scientific disciplines. It is intended for high-school students as well as the general public.