CATRIN partners with AFO: Scientists Join the Programme Once Again
CATRIN supported the international festival of popular-educational films “Academia film Olomouc” this year again and became one of its partners. Renowned researchers, Alexander Dömling and Radek Zbořil, joined the programme of the festival, enriching it with their expertise. At the closing ceremony, Director Pavel Banáš presented one of the awards to the filmmakers.
“Scientific and technological progress is an essential part and driving force of our society. However, research and development of new technologies alone is not enough, the knowledge, beauty, but also the risks of modern science need to be clearly presented to the general public. And this is exactly what the AFO science-popularization festival does, and therefore it has CATRIN’s support,” said the CATRIN Director Pavel Banáš, explaining the reasons for the partnership.
Alexander Dömling, winner of the prestigious ERA Chair and ERC grants, had a discussion with the audience at the Olomouc Museum after the screening of the Australian documentary “Last Chance to Save a Life”, which explores the innovative and at the same time seemingly paradoxical use of viruses in the fight against bacteria. The so-called Phage therapy uses viruses that find dangerous bacteria in the body and kill them.
“The theme of the film is particularly close to my heart as it deals with the escalating crisis associated with antibiotic resistance, which may result in the emergence of a post-antibiotic era in which once manageable infections could become fatal again. I have a deep personal connection to the topic thanks to my earlier visit to the George Eliava Institute of Bacteriophage, Microbiology and Virology (aka Tbilisi Institute)—historically the first centre of phage therapy—and my own work in the field of discovering antibiotic drugs. The discussion was extremely fruitful and strengthened the public’s understanding of science, medicine and their ethical, developmental and safety aspects,” said Dömling, who intends to engage in similar meetings with the public as part of his EU-funded ERA Chair and ERC projects.
The physical chemist Radek Zbořil took part in the “Inspiration Relay for a Better World II”, in which he reflected on the theme of science connecting and dividing. The event was included in the AFO programme for the first time with the aim of connecting the festival partners with the audience and offering them “stories” suitable for inspiration.
“Top scientists from all over the world are coming together to make the discoveries that are changing our lives. But society does not always embrace this news with open arms. There are many cases where fundamental technological changes and discoveries divide society—from nuclear physics, to medicine and pharmacy, to energy. Indeed, nanotechnology, in addition to expectations, aroused negative reactions only relatively recently. The public, but also the scientific community, are divided over the European Green Deal strategy, electromobility, and many medical applications,” said Zbořil, addressing these hot issues.
As his presentation showed, CATRIN scientists are conducting cutting-edge research in all of these areas, often as part of prestigious European projects and in collaboration with outstanding experts from Germany, Italy, Spain, Israel and other countries. The goal of bringing together the best European teams is to generate and store truly green energy, reduce the carbon footprint and energy burden of chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing, or overcome antibiotic resistance using new materials and technologies based on atomic engineering. But even these results can raise a number of questions and distrust among a section of the public. How to break out of this vicious cycle? “Among other things, adequate communication with the public,” concluded the scientist.
The 59th AFO Festival attracted 250 Czech and foreign guests among scientists, filmmakers, producers or distributors. Altogether, a record 8,798 visitors were accredited.