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 06.04.2022

The Barcelona Science Park awards the 18th edition of BATX2LAB prizes

Last Wednesday, April 6, the Barcelona Science Park awarded the prizes for the 18th edition of BATX2LAB, the research work tutoring program for high school students, in which more than 80 people have participated, including students, teachers of the teaching centres and research staff of the PCB.

In this edition, from 179 applications received to participate in the program, 40 students were selected. The prizes for the best research works –a scape room and two guided tours in emblematic buildings related to science– have been for:

-Joana Cuartiella Mayordomo, from the Escola Súnion, for the work “L’epigenètica. Pot ser l’editora del genoma per la cura del càncer?”. Tutor of the academic center: Sebastià Benejam. Tutor of PCB: Alba Milanés (IRB Barcelona).

-Maria Guix Legaz, from the school Padre Damián Sagrados Corazones for the work “La síndrome X Fràgil. Una malaltia genètica”. Tutor of the academic centre: Chesca Marfà. Tutor of PCB: Marta Lovera (IRB Barcelona).

-Roser Mayol Alcaraz, from the Escola Proa for the work “Viatge científic per un univers diminut (nanotecnologia)”. Tutor of the academic centre: Juan José López. Tutor of PCB: Jordi Díaz (Science and Technology Centres of the University of Barcelona, CCiTUB).

The event was attended by Maria Terrades, director of the Barcelona Science Park; Gijs Jochems, general manager of Promega Biotech Ibérica, and Josep M. Fernández, professor of Biology at the University of Barcelona (UB) and collaborator of the BATX2LAB. They were also joined by the students and tutors who participated in this edition.

During the meeting, Gijs Jochems gave a talk on career opportunities related to STEM careers, and Jorge Nicolás-Alvarez –aeronautical engineer, member of Big Van Ciencia– has enlivened the event with the scientific monologue “A detail to colonize Mars” to disseminate the research in a playful and very attractive way.

Promoting scientific careers

The Barcelona Science Park is stepping up its commitment to persuading young people to choose STEM careers by holding a new edition of the BATX2LAB featuring fresh options that add value and bring science to life.

The programme offers students in the first year of upper secondary school, the chance to do the practical part of their research project in the PCB laboratories, where they are tutored by scientifics from centres and companies in the health sector. In this 2020-2021 academic year have participated the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), the Institute for Molecular Biology of Barcelona (IBMB-CSIC), the Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico (CNAG) and the Science and Technology Centres of the University of Barcelona (CCiTUB), DTI Foundation and the PCB’s Proteomics Platform.

BATX2LAB is part of Research in Society programme, the Barcelona Science Park’s initiative to foster dialogue between the public and research staff and encourage young people to pursue a career in science. It is backed by the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, and the Barcelona City Council and, in this edition, also from Promega Biotech Ibérica, through its Social Responsibility programme.

In 2016, the programme has been awarded with the Educational Quality Label from Barcelona’s Pedagogical Coordination Council (CCP) set up by the Barcelona Municipal Institute of Education (IMEB), and in 2018, with the Barcelona City Council Educational Innovation Award, which recognises teaching innovation initiatives carried out in the city to promote training opportunities and social inclusion.