As part of the University of Santiago de Compostela's Network of Singular Research Centres annual outreach initiative, CiQUS designed a comprehensive program of hands-on workshops and laboratory tours. The event attracted families, students, and science enthusiasts of all ages, with more than 100 children participating in interactive activities.
The day featured visits from prominent institutional figures, including the Conselleiro de Educación, Ciencia, Universidades y Formación Profesional (Xunta de Galicia), accompanied by the University Chancellor, Vice-chancellor for Scientific Policy, and General Manager. The delegation showed keen interest in the centre's research activities and public engagement efforts.
More than 70 CiQUS staff members - including technicians, senior researchers, PhD candidates, postdoctoral fellows, and master's students - volunteered their time and expertise to make the event possible. Their dedication enabled a diverse range of activities, from polymerization reactions and photosynthetic pigment extraction for younger visitors to advanced laboratory tours.
Adult visitors enjoyed unique access to working research spaces, learning about graphene materials in Dolores Pérez's laboratory, peptide nanotubes as biological tools with Juan R. Granja, bio-inspired nanomaterials with Ester Polo, and sustainable chemistry approaches in Jesús Varela's lab.
The Centre for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials (CiQUS), part of the Xunta de Galicia's CIGUS network and supported by the EU through the Galicia FEDER 2021-2027 programme, reinforced its role as a community-oriented research institution. The event's remarkable success underscores both public appetite for science and the importance of creating direct connections between cutting-edge research and society.
