The BBMRI.at biobanking research infrastructure together with pathologists from the Diagnostic & Research Institute of Pathology (Med Uni Graz) enable children to become biobankers, pathologists and researchers. They offer a kids university course during the summer vacation. First insights are given by Cornelia Stumptner, Project Manager BBMRI.at.

1 What are the workshops about?

Children can experience certain steps along the path from the patient to a new medication. They get an insight into the work done in a medical laboratory and biobank, and have the opportunity perform some laboratory work themselves and become researchers, pathologists or biobankers.

2 Where does this knowledge play a role?

Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, we learned how important it is to have a basic understanding of the work of our body systems and organs. It is essential to identify diseases early and to understand exactly how they develop and what happens in the body so that we learn how to avoid diseases or to treat them with medication.

3 What can the participants experience?

The participants handle raspberry juice "blood", freeze tissue in liquid nitrogen and stain tissue sections to make cells visible under the microscope. The children also learn about the functions of blood and organs and can see how tissue from different organs look like in the microscope. With a little quiz, the juniour researchers can check how much they have learned.

 Kleine Zeitung Science Garden Initiative

Workshop: Wo Kinder im medizinischen Labor zu Forschern werden>

Image: Kleine Zeitung, 24 Feb 2022