Previous events and activities
Since 2022, Daphnia Detectives Research has been showcased across the UK. Discover more about past events, displays and exhibitions as well as upcoming dates for 2025.
British Science Festival 2022
Small particles, big problem! Daphnia detectives research was showcased at the British Science Festival 2022 in Leicester, along with research highlights from colleagues and collaborators from the University of Birmingham and University of Leicester. Activities include the chance to pan for plastics and check out the dancing Daphnia!
Microplastics can be extracted from different environments using a range of techniques, before being stained to help with their identification. Festival goers had the chance to explore how the Nile Red staining technique works in practice and through the usage of sieves and UV torch they could see if they are able to find the microplastics from the sand. They also got to peek through the microscope and see how this bright fluorescence transfers into smaller particles and finally to make an educated guess where the microplastic is in a comparison photo of a filter under normal light conditions and fluorescence mode (to varying degrees of success)!
Using Daphnia, or water fleas, we can use standardised lab experiments to determine the effect that microplastics in freshwater systems can have on both the individual animals and the wider ecosystem. Using fluorescent particles with a UV light in combination with a microscope we can measure how many particles the animals have eaten and then link this to changes in their behaviour, for example, if they eat a lot of plastic do they move less? How could this affect them long term? Visitors got the chance to look at the difference in behaviour between Daphnia that had been exposed to plastics compared to the control (unexposed group) using fluorescent lights to check for particles.
Royal Society of Chemistry Open House 2023
Following on from a successful grant application, Dr Reilly and team were invited to the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Open House event in London to present some of the work that they had undertaken during the grant. The activities focused on the use of stains and dyes in environmental science.
SETAC Science Slam 2023
Dearbhla (the Daphnia) went to Dublin in 2023, and was part of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry’s Science Slam, placing second! In the style of blind dates, Dearbhla was on the Daphnia Dating show, looking for her ideal match. Her panel of suitors were made up of Polly Pollution, Orla Optimum and Cliff Climate Change. Follow the link below to see if Dearbhla met her match! SETAC Science Slam 2023 on Vimeo.
Pint of Science 2024
Daphnia research made a splash during the Birmingham Pint of Science events in 2024. Focusing on the role of Daphnia in environmental science and understanding plastic pollution, Dr Reilly presented at Kilo Zero (a zero-waste bar in Birmingham), bringing along some Daphnia to showcase with the public. There are always lots of great questions and engagement at Pint of Science which takes place every May across the country- more information can be found at Home | Pint of Science.
British Science Festival 2025
Join us in Liverpool, September 2025! More information to follow.