On the last day of DECIDE’s 3rd ITN Training School at the University of Wroclaw in September, ESRs arranged a Public Open Day in as part of the Lower Silesian Science Festival (LSSF). Participants were requested to register in advance for the event called “Decision-making during blood cell development and differentiation therapy for leukaemia”, via the official webpage of the LSSF http://www.festiwal.wroc.pl/english/?c=events&year=2015&do=detail&id=12868

ESRs were divided, with Alexandra, Irene, Laura and Zuzanna introducing the concept of cells to children aged six to nine. They gave a presentation then hosted a display of immune cell images for children to pick their favourite, make that cell using playdough and take home with them.

Aoife, Andreai, Eva, Lily, Llucia, Narasimha, Pawel, Sharmin introduced concepts of stem cells, cell differentiation and blood types to teenagers aged 12-17.  Following Lilly and Llucia’s presentations, Pawel, Eva and Andreai taught the students about the different blood groups with an experiment using simple liquids mimicking blood used to demonstrate blood typing.  Aoife, Sharmin and Narisimha used the blood system as the model for a game designed to introduce students to the idea that cells differentiate to produce mature cells, differentiation pathways are controlled by signals within and outside the cell and that stem cells are at the start of these pathways.

Once all activities had finished, each student was presented with a certificate to acknowledge their participation in the event.

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