AFRODITA engages the public with science at European Researchers’ Night 2026 in Spain and Italy

On 25 September 2026, the AFRODITA European Doctoral Network took part in the European Researchers’ Night organised by the University of Murcia and the University of Teramo. The event brought researchers and citizens together for an evening dedicated to science, discovery and public engagement. In Murcia, AFRODITA participated with the interactive activity “Do you know how in vitro fertilisation works?”, designed to introduce reproductive biology and assisted reproductive technologies to visitors of all ages in an accessible, visual and engaging way. The AFRODITA team was represented by Sebastián Cánovas (Project Coordinator), Laura Abril (Project Manager), Jon Romero (PhD supervisor), and the doctoral candidates Malgorzata Mikita, Peter Silke, Michela Prestianni and Tania Rodriguez. Together, they welcomed children, families and adults to explore how reproductive cells meet and how the earliest stages of a new organism begin to develop. Throughout the evening, visitors learned about the diversity of sperm cells across animal species, discovered what happens during fertilisation and arranged the first stages of embryonic development in the correct sequence. Participants also had the opportunity to observe sperm, oocytes and embryos through microscopes. A special effort was made to engage younger visitors. AFRODITA presented the colouring story “Luna y Nico: an adventure in the laboratory of life”, created to explain fertilisation and early embryo development through a simple and age-appropriate story. Feedback collected from participants after these activities was highly positive, with an average overall satisfaction score of 4.93/5. All participants also stated that they would recommend this type of activity to other families.

AFRODITA was also represented at the European Researchers’ Night hosted by the University of Teramo, where PhD candidate Camila Rojo and her supervisor, Barbara Barboni, took part in the local programme. The event provided a welcoming and participatory setting for sharing knowledge, interacting with researchers and encouraging curiosity and interest in science among visitors of all ages.

The strong interaction with visitors in Murcia and Teramo demonstrated the value of combining research with accessible, participatory science communication and of creating spaces where people of all ages can engage directly with science. The AFRODITA consortium would like to thank the University of Murcia and its Scientific Culture and Innovation Unit (UCC+i), as well as the University of Teramo and the local organisers, for making these European Researchers’ Night activities possible. We also thank all the researchers, supervisors and doctoral candidates who contributed to the events. Most importantly, we thank everyone who took part, asked questions and joined us in discovering and celebrating science.

Digital resource: “Luna y Nico: an adventure in the laboratory of life”

The colouring story is available as a digital PDF.

AFRODITA has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), Grant Agreement No. 101120126. Project information: https://doi.org/10.3030/101120126