This year, our MFPL scientists presented their research at three different locations in Vienna. Each station focused on different biological topics and covered a broad range of fields investigated at the MFPL. At the Vienna BioCenter, together with Open Science - Lebenswissenschaften im Dialog, our researchers introduced visitors to the fascinating world of alternative splicing – the mechanism that allows our body to produce such a vast variety of proteins, despite having a limited number of genes.  At the General Hospital (AKH) (with the Medical University of Vienna) our scientists prepared an interactive station, where visitors were given the opportunity to admire beautiful protein crystals, or even attempt to produce crystals themselves. 

Visitors were surprised to hear about the role Austrians played in the development of crystallography, and how changes in protein structure can lead to disease. DNA extraction from strawberries and raspberries, looking at worms, ciliates and tardigrades under the microscope and staining cells from oral mucosa was the focus of the third station, at the Campus Altes AKH (with the University of Vienna). Altogether, several thousands of visitors took the opportunity to learn more about research at the MFPL, University of Vienna, Medical University of Vienna and the Vienna BioCenter, making it a very successful night for all of us. 
Ignacio Prusén Mota, PhD student at the MFPL in Peter Schlögelhofer’s lab, says: “It was an exciting experience to show science to the general public during Austria’s biggest outreach event”.

We would like to thank all the coordinators and participating scientists for their fantastic efforts and the smooth running of the event, as well as everyone involved in the planning and realization of the different MFPL stations! The event would not have been possible without the great effort of all volunteers.