How does research work? What secrets lie in regeneration? What can we learn from an axolotl?

These are the central questions of the interactive and mobile school workshop neugierige.köpfe: Science Meets Classroom. Organized by the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA) in Vienna, the workshop explores regeneration with the axolotl. This free workshop is designed for pupils in the 3rd and 4th grades of primary school and brings research directly into the classroom. Initiated and led by Helena Okulski, a Postdoc in the Tanaka group at IMBA, together with students from the group, the workshop invites children to explore the fascinating world of regeneration - the ability of living organisms to renew body parts and organs - and to discover the axolotl as a model organism.

Researchers act as science communicators, translating scientific advances in axolotl regeneration research into a format accessible to young learners.

At IMBA, our vision is to share cutting-edge research with the public and spark enthusiasm in even the youngest minds. With neugierige.köpfe: Science Meets Classroom, we create early and easy access to science and research. In this way, we promote educational equity, encourage innovation, and support a society where learning is shared and available to all.

For more information visit our website in German.

How does brain research work? How does our brain function? How do signals travel from one nerve cell to another?

With the new workshop edition “neugierige.köpfe: Science meets Classroom - Team Gehirn: Signal-Rennen von Zelle zu Zelle,” we bring this fascinating field directly into the classroom.

Together with scientists, children explore how neurons transmit signals and how different types of cells work together. Step by step, they discover how complex processes emerge from many small signals that shape our thinking, emotions, and actions. At the heart of the workshop is the remarkable complexity of the brain - a world in which cells constantly communicate and make us who we are.

Led by Dr. Helena Okulski (research group of Prof. Elly Tanaka), together with PhD students Petra Schaffer and Martina Beccari (research group of Dr. Sofia Grade), current scientific insights are presented in an engaging and age-appropriate way.

Alongside the successful workshop series on regeneration, this edition offers a new perspective on the human body - and shows how exciting it is to understand what happens inside our brain.