The initiative, which has toured several European countries, aims to ignite scientific curiosity and promote vocations in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). The project involves voluntary participation from Merck employees and university collaborators.
This event brought together 1st-year ESO students from Canovelles' institutes and 6th-grade primary students from Escola Jacint Verdaguer. Participants engaged in hands-on workshops led by employees from Merck's plant in Mollet del Vallès.
Three educational activities were conducted to explain complex scientific concepts in an engaging manner. The "Unlocking the Power of Enzymes" workshop illustrated the role of proteins in bodily repair using key-and-lock models.
The second activity, "DNA Cellular Coding," introduced basic molecular biology concepts, allowing students to build cell models with building blocks to understand DNA as genetic code.
Finally, the "Mission: Genetic Control" workshop explored synthetic biology and genetic instruction modification through quiz-style games, familiarizing students with gene activation.
This experience enabled students to practically explore and discover scientific concepts, potentially inspiring future academic and professional paths in STEM disciplines.
