As part of our open science initiative, our partner Biofaction invited citizens across the EU to decide which plant compounds matter most for them. They rated flavonoids and terpenoids based on what mattered to them – environmentally, socially, personally. The goal is to create a ranked list of compounds, of which the top 3-5 would be used to create open science starter kits.
Nearly 100 people joined us in Ghent, Vienna, Barcelona and Vilnius to have a conversation about AI, plant compounds, and synthetic biology. We partnered with some fantastic organizations to make it happen: Scivil in Belgium, Science for Change in Spain, and Vilnius University Library in Lithuania. And the event in Austria was hosted by Biofaction.
Rating plant compounds
During the workshop, citizens learned about the deCYPher project and how we’re using AI to engineer microorganisms that can produce flavonoids and terpenoids more sustainably. We produced two films for two discussion blocks. In order to make the compounds tangible and meaningful to citizens, we also designed 14 character play cards to introduce them, how they are produced and what their applications are. People engaged in discussions with real curiosity about the research, as well as flavonoids and terpenoids in everyday life. They asked critical questions about EU research, how science gets funded and contributed to lively discussions.
In Ghent, Scivil with Steve Bers and Jef Van Laer hosted the event on October 25th at a central location close to the main station. Our project lead Marjan de Mey was there in person to represent the scientists and answer questions directly about the research behind the deCYPher project.
Meanwhile in Vienna on October 28th, the Biofaction team – Markus Schmidt, Sandra Youssef, Oi Pui Hoang, and Uliana Reutina – created a welcoming space for dialogue.
In Barcelona, we met on November 3rd at the Jardí del Silenci – a former convent courtyard from the late 19th century that’s now a community garden and gathering space. Joana Magalhães and Sergi López Asensio from Science for Change brought the conversation to life there. It felt like the perfect setting to talk about terpenoids and flavonoids, surrounded by the plants that produce them.
Over in Vilnius on November 4th, Indra Giraitė for Vilnius University Library hosted participants at the very modern and busy Scientific Communication and Information Center, a central hub for students and faculty alike. A bit outside of the city center the location is surrounded by forest.
These events brought citizens and scientists together to talk about research in ways that actually matter. Our scientists whether in person or online – Marjan de Mey, Cara Deal (Ghent University) and Miguel Romero Durana (Barcelona Supercomputing) – enjoyed attending and responding to some very though questions. While citizens took the opportunity to ask all their questions about synthetic biology.
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