Professional Documents
Culture Documents
PRBB Open Day 2008
PRBB Open Day 2008
Table of contents
So far, the first round of three cafe cientificos have taken place, and been a tremendous
success, taking place in the CCCB bar. The interviews series began with an interview with
the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Sir Harold W. Kroto, and the three remaining projects are
in the preparation phase.
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2. About the PRBB Open Day
Background
Open Days in research centres are traditionally used to display the research undertaken in the
laboratories to the society at large. In Open Days people are guided through the host
institution and are exposed to general explanations of the science done there by the scientists
themselves. They are generally organised by volunteers with the endorsement of institution.
Aims
We, as young researchers, believe that important efforts have to be made to inform society
about the everyday research we are doing in the PRBB. Therefore, we propose to organise a
PRBB Open Day; a day during which volunteer scientists from the PRBB will present what is
being done in the institute, through activities such as the exhibition of posters (in lay-mans
terms), the realisation of simple experiments, in addition to visits of some interesting spots in
the PRBB.
- From the scientists to the public: this day will be the opportunity to for the scientists to
inform the public about their work (what are they doing, how they do it), and share
their experience of a scientific life with those who are not familiar.
- From the public to the scientists: it will be the perfect opportunity for the public to
communicate their opinions to the scientists (non-scientific criticisms, hopes for the
future, fears and general curiosities).
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3 . Format of the PRBB Open Day
Proposed activities
We propose to organise the PRBB Open Day on Saturday, 4th of October. During this day,
different activities will be proposed to promote a dialogue with the "non-scientific" public,
from posters exposition, easy experiments a café cientifico and visits inside the building.
These activities are detailed in the next section ("4.Activities in detail") and will take place
during this day according to the timetable shown in Appendix i.
Location
The building localization is a perfect asset to target the PRBB Open Day we are proposing to a
large public audience, from children and families to curious citizens. The different activities
will take place in the Plaça Darwin (for the posters exposition and the conducted experiments)
and in the inner square (for the cafe cientifico and the final party).
The third place will be the building itself, as a guided visit of some spots of the PRBB will be
organised for small groups of persons).
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4 . Activities in details
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POSTER EXPOSITION
The Open Day will be the occasion to communicate some notions about biology
and more specifically the works realised in the PRBB. Posters arranged on boards
during the whole day can complement the scientific activities carried out and are a good
chance for people to get a better idea of what topics we are working on at the building.
Also, this exhibition compliments information given during visits and activities.
The primary concern is that these posters vehicle interesting and easy
information.
The location for this exhibition will be the Plaça Darwin (see Appendix ii).
Main points:
- A minimum of 10 DIN A-2 posters : that will divulge main points of research in
PRBB. This minimum should introduce basic notions about biology (DNA, RNA,
protein…) and about the methodology used nowadays in biology (animal models,
bioinformatics,…).
- Some posters dedicated to works realised in the PRBB (in a more detailed manner)
could also be exposed. The more basic posters can be useful to understand them, and
some people could be interested in learning a bit more.
- One poster about the PRBB building will be realised : it will gather information about
its history, about its architect, and will explain the different institutes that work inside.
A table in front of the poster will have some printed information about the building.
Remarks :
- A list of 5 topics to propose if we don’t get instant reaction and volunteers to make
them.
- A priority will be that every institute is represented through these posters. This
involves a collaboration of people through the different institutes. One poster per
institute should be a minimum.
Needs:
- Volunteers (among the SmS group and more generally working in the PRBB) will
make the posters. A particular attention will be needed to be sure that they are about the
same communication level and to avoid repeated topics/approaches.
- We would like to have a person by each poster or group of posters to answer to doubts
or encourage reading them. It would require 10-12 volunteers, who could shift from one
poster to another.
- DINA4 versions of the posters, even in black & white, to hand out to people interested
in the subject.
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PLACA DARWIN EXPERIMENTS
The experiments will take place in placa Darwin (see Appendix ii) between 11am and
6pm and will encompass several ideas about basic scientific research and the PRBB,
reiterating the information in the posters and to help reinforce the concept of the public
understanding of science.
Tables with specific topics will be set up. These tables include:
1) DNA
This table will deal with describing DNA in addition to an experiment (Extract DNA
from fruit) and make the structure of DNA from sweets (for the younger ones). Poster
showing structure, description how much DNA there is, fascinating facts etc.
Lastly there will be a table where experiments for families to take away and try at home
together will be left.
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PRBB VISITS
To complement the activities offered at the Darwin Square during the PRBB open
day, there will be the possibility to see how laboratories from the PRBB look like.
Therefore during the day, small groups of 10 persons will be guided through a circuit
inside the building.
Every hour will start a visit. Visits have been planned for small groups of 10
persons and will last approximately 45 min, being the first at 11:00 and the last at 18:00.
To be able to visit the centre, people will have to sing up (provide name, DNI and group
to which they would like to join) at a registration desk located at the Darwin Square.
Two volunteers from the PRBB will guide each group through the building. The circuit
they will follow will consist in:
1. Introduction of the research done at the PRBB using a Power Point presentation
(at the 4th floor).
2. Visit a bioinformatic laboratory (4th floor)
3. Move to the 5th floor through the outer stairs.
4. Visit a biochemistry/cell biology laboratory (5th floor).
5. Visit film developing room and cytometry facility (3rd floor)
6. End of the visit.
In total, 12 volunteers (minimum) will be needed. These will be split into the following
tasks:
a. 4 people (2+2 / morning - afternoon) that will be at the registration desk.
b. 4 people (2 from the bioinformatic lab and 2 from the cell biology lab) that
will explain briefly what they do in these laboratories.
c. 4 people (2+2 / morning - afternoon) will be with the group during the whole
visit.
To carry out the visits through the building no specific budget will be needed provided
that PRBB resources, such as a beamer and a laser pointer, are going to available.
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CAFÉ SCIENTIFIC
We proposed a Café Scientific session during the Open day, which will provide
the opportunity for the public to interact with scientists. The general idea is letting the
public to ask questions to invited speakers in order to understand whatever related to the
PRBB and its workers.
Science meets Society group has already organized 3 Cafés Scientifics during last
spring achieving a real success and satisfaction from the participants (around 300).
Those cafés were planned and organized at the CCCB café by members of the SmS
initiative. Therefore it will be easy to take advantage from this background to hold this
“special” café scientific inside the Open day. Moreover, this session will be also the
opportunity to promote future “cafés scientifics” as the ones that the CRG/PRBB
supported in the past.
Topic:
What is such building for? Why do scientists invest their time at the lab? What is
science useful for? Why is necessary investing money in science? Why “people’s
money” is invested in the PRBB? Etc…
We would invite 3 people including a group leader, a PhD Student or a PostDoc
and someone from the public administration involved in research funding (Research
Department from the Generalitat for example).
From the public being at different other Open Day activities, questions will be
filmed and used as a basis for the debate with the speakers.
In addition to the members of the Science meets Society group involved (3 for
this activity), the mobilization of 6 volunteers will be required for the correct
organization of this event.
This café scientific will last for approximately one hour and a half from 7p.m to
8h30p.m (see general schedule).
Place:
This café will take place at the inner square, next to the entrance (see Appendix iii).
If raining it would be done in the restaurant or under the PRBB Auditorium.
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FINAL PARTY
Aim:
- Arise the interest of young people for the actions of the PRBB
- Bring them into direct contact with PRBB people
- Drinks and Food proposed in this activity could served during the all day for the other
activities.
Outline:
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5 . Communication Plan
Internal communication:
At the moment we have announced the Open Day on the El·lipse and the portal prbb.net to
inform all the PRBB residents and to recruit more volunteers.
External communication:
- Fliers : simple photocopies will allow additional advertising and will be distributed
during the Open Day, to attract more people
Timing:
In order to appear announced in daily publications we will send the Press Release, etc. on the
same week.
For weekly publications need to send 2 weeks in advance
For monthly publications 1 or 2 months in advance (not very detailed programme, just the date).
So we calculate we need to have all the posters designed and printed by the beginning of
September if we want to do the Open day the 4th of October.
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6 . Preparation Timetable
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7 . Budget
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EXPERIMENTS:
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8 . Appendix
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Appendix i : OPEN DAY TIMETABLE
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Posters?
Interviews?
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Appendix ii : Plaça Darwin plan
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Sh
ow
ein an
d
ot te
Pr ll
6 8
3 Take h
Ce o
Experi me
ll ments
DN
A
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Poster boards x 10
The Building Info about visiting
1 PRBB/Research itself
Sandwich boards x 4 2
Tables x 10
Sea side
Chairs x 20
Appendix iii : PRBB Inner Square plan
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Appendix iv : Inside Visit – Detailed Plan
Volunteers
How
Station Aim Where? Permission already
long?
available
Introduction about the 10 at the 4th
1st Book aula
PRBB min floor
Visit a bioinformatic at the 4th R.Guigó
2nd 5 min 9
laboratory floor (ongoing)
Explanation about the Terrace 5th
3rd 5 min -
building itself* floor
Visit a biochemistry/cell I. Vernós
4th 5 min 5th floor 9
biology laboratory (already obtained)
Bacteria culture room
5th 2 min 5th floor -
5th floor
Observation of a
I. Vernós
6th sample under a 5 min 5th floor 9
(already obtained)
microscope
Still has to be
7th Developing room 5 min 3rd floor
obtained
Still has to be
8th Cytometry Facility 5 min 6th floor
obtained
Move from one station
- 5 min -
to the next
Including the time the group might need to move from one station to the next, this circuit
will take around 45 minutes.
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