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 25.03.2021

The Barcelona Science Park awards the prizes for the 17th edition of Batx2Lab

This Thursday, March 25, the Barcelona Science Park has awarded the prizes for the 17th edition of Batx2Lab, the research project tutoring programme for upper secondary school students. This year, the ceremony was held via streaming in view of the exceptional situation brought about by COVID-19, and more than 70 students and tutors from educational centers and the Park have taken part.

In this edition, from 101 applications received to participate in the program, 40 male and female 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:

-Marina Jiménez Bilbeny, from the Institut Valerià Pujol i Bosch in Premià de Dalt, for the work “Bacterial resistance to antibiotics”. Tutors of the academic center: Alfred Sánchez and Ester Rubio. Tutor of the University of Barcelona: Narciso Campos.

Adrià Lopez Machuca, from the Institut Bellulla in Canovellas, for the work “Obtaining a Genetically Modified Organism using the CRISPR / Cas9 method”. Tutor of the academic center: Raúl García. Tutor at the Institute for Biomedical Research (IRB Barcelona): Mariana Muzzopappa.

Laia Parareda de la Osa, from the Institut Jaume Callís in Vic, for the work “Autophagy: the unknown process of cell treach degradation”. Tutor of the academic center: Marisol Cabral. Tutor of the Institute of Molecular Biology of Barcelona (IBMB-CSIC): Javier Rubio.

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 Alberto Vivó –biotechnologist, master in Nanotechnology and member of Big Van Ciencia– enlivened the event with the scientific monologue “The periodic table” to disseminate research in a playful and very attractive way.

Promoting scientific careers

Against the backdrop of the major challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has underscored the crucial role science and technology play in our society, the Barcelona Science Park is stepping up its commitment to persuading young people to choose STEM careers by holding a new edition of the programme featuring fresh options that add value and bring science to life.

Batx2Lab 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.

Batx2Lab was set up in 2003 to encourage young people to pursue a career in science. In the programme, over 700 students (70% girls) and 300 members of the research staff based in the park (50% women) have taken part, 51% of them holding a PhD and 49% doctoral students.

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 Science and Technology Centres of the University of Barcelona (CCiTUB), DTI Foundation and the companies Whole Genix and Xenopat.

Batx2Lab is part of Research in Society, 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) of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, and the Culture Institute, created by Barcelona City Council (ICUB).

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.