Our research at Science is Wonderful! 2026

Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology participated in the European Commission outreach event “Science is Wonderful! 2026”, held in Brussels from 18–20 March. The event brings together 44 teams of EU-funded scientists and more than 4,000 school students from across Europe to explore science through interactive activities and live demonstrations.

The Minerva Fast Track Fellow for Marine Transmissible Cancers at our institute was selected for the 2026 edition with a booth titled “An Ocean of Discoveries: what the Sea teaches us about Medicine”, where students discovered how studying marine organisms can help scientists understand human diseases such as cancer or others.

Students took part in a cockle treasure hunt using UV light to detect hidden cancer, examined cockle cells under the microscope to identify diseased cells, and matched marine animals with the medical discoveries they inspired.

In addition, the team presented the interactive show “The Underwater Journey of a Cancer Cell”, where students acted as cells to learn how DNA mutations can lead to cancer and how, in some marine organisms, cancer cells can even spread between individuals through seawater.

The activities were developed by Marmic PhD student Nupur Potukuchi and master’s student Nur M. Farhad, and the outreach project was led by Alicia L. Bruzos. The team warmly thanks the MPI's electronics workshop, Andreas Ellrott, Fanni Aspetsberger, Stefan Dröge, Ramona Appel and Katarina Tvrdic, as well as Kenneth Skeldon (Eusea European Science Engagement Association) for their support in preparing this project. The event provided a unique opportunity to inspire young students to explore how the ocean can help us better understand human health.

Watch a short video recap of the booth and science show: https://youtu.be/-NU8OztE4qo?si=7Uh1PpnwCneZEGPq