Information taken from this article by Andreas Schweiger: Wie Großglockner und Comics unsere Zellen ins Bild setzen: Eine Biochemikerin erklärt’s:
- Ariane Pessentheiner explains complex processes in the body clearly, creatively and with a lot of passion. The biochemist brings children and young people closer to science. “I would like to convey the fascination for research to others. I see it as my responsibility to society to pass on knowledge”.
- For almost a year she has been leading the “BioPhyCom” programme at the University of Graz, in which she aims to awaken curiosity about science in eight to 15-year-old students through age-adapted workshops in which comics, experiments and gamification play an important role. The FWF project “New nanodiscs for studying GPCR signal transmission” provides the foundation.
- The team, led by Sandro Keller from the Institute of Molecular Biosciences, is working on biomembranes, extremely thin layers around each cell, and the membrane proteins they contain.
- Pessentheiner sees art as a door opener - also for natural sciences. She is supported by Hannah Kohlmaier, a master's student in psychology: “I learned at school how important it is to promote interest at an early stage.”
- Ariane Pessentheiner is convinced that the researchers also learn from dialogue with young people. “We benefit from receiving new questions, uncomfortable and simple ones.”
- Pessentheiner and Kohlmaier are currently preparing a larger event at the Institute of Molecular Biosciences: Art&Science Day. Five hands-on stations combine science with art. Old and young are invited, for example, to look at specimens under the microscope and then interpret them as a drawing.
Thursday, March 21, 2024, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m University of Graz, Institute for Molecular Biosciences Humboldtstrasse 48, 8010 Graz
Admission is free, but registration is requested: Art&Science at the Institute of Molecular Biosciences - biophycom.uni-graz.at
Foto: Uni Graz/Tzivanopoulos