© Tanio Calabrese
© Katharina Link (MPI Age)
© Katharina Link (MPI Age)
© Katharina Link (MPI Age)
Pint of Science, an annual series of events hosted by the scientific community in Cologne, kicked off on May 13th at the Lost Level bar with talks by scientists from diverse backgrounds. These talks were uniquely tailored to the public and were followed by discussions initiated by audience questions. The event continued in two other bars over the following two evenings, bringing more than 200 science enthusiasts into contact with local scientists.
The phrase “Good question! I actually don’t know!” was heard frequently in response to public questions. Along with rediscovering the broader context of their research and how it fits into the bigger picture of our society, the scientists enjoyed the opportunity to step back from the details that occupy their research and rethink the basics.
CECAD Aging Research was present, with Annamaria Regina, a Ph.D. student at the Cologne Excellence Cluster on Aging and Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), taking the stage on the first of the three-day event. She explained mitochondria's role in supporting the immune system during infections through the lens of her research in a talk titled “MitoHero: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility.”
CECAD was also represented by a second speaker, Laura Wester, a postdoctoral researcher of the Antebi lab at the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing. She provided insights into the phenomenon of ovarian aging in women in her presentation, “Frauen altern anders: Ein wissenschaftlicher Blick auf die weibliche Fruchtbarkeit.” She explored why women’s ovaries age faster than the rest of their reproductive system, and how model organisms help us understand the biology behind this process.
A third speaker, Sadig Niftullayev, a Ph.D. student at the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, brought an engaging talk to the stage with “Finding the Right One: The Diverse World of Model Organisms.” He discussed the critical role of model organisms in scientific research, explaining how they help scientists experiment, innovate, and understand complex biological systems.
Pint of Science is an international non-profit organization dedicated to hosting festivals that bridge the gap between local researchers and the general public. Through local pubs, bars, cafés, and public spaces, the organization fosters a unique environment where researchers can share and discuss their findings with the community. This year’s events, held from May 13 to May 15, spanned 25 different countries and around 300 cities, including Cologne. The Cologne event is jointly organized by doctoral students and Public Outreach Mangers from the Max Planck Institutes for Biology of Ageing, Metabolism Research and Plant Breeding Research in Cologne and the two Excellence Clusters at the University of Cologne, CECAD and ML4Q.
Press and communication:
Dr. Tanio Calabrese
+49 221 478 84044
g.calabrese@uni-koeln.de
Further information:
Page of the event: https://pintofscience.de/events/cologne
The three events: