The Molecular Microbiology Group is involved in many outreach activities focused on the dissemination and knowledge transfer to K-12 education, industry and general audiences.

MicroMon (a Tiny Earth project)

Tiny Earth is a network of instructors and students focused on studentsourcing antibiotic discovery from soil. MicroMón @ UAB is an implementation of the Tiny Earth initiative currently in its 3rd edition at UAB. This program aims to encourage K-12 students to become involved and develop a career in science and technology while taking up one of the most important challenges for human health: the global spread of antibiotic resistance.

In this program, UAB undergraduate students, supervised by UAB Microbiology professors, lead a hands-on research experience for K-12 students in their own schools. Learn more about MicroMón here.

ARGÓ

Launched in 2003, the UAB-funded ARGÓ project provides research internships for K-12 students in research laboratories at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. The Molecular Microbiology Group participates in this program, offering research internships on “Phage therapy as an alternative antibacterial strategy”.

Within the framework of the ARGÓ project, the Molecular Microbiology Group also implements workshops to update K-12 teachers’ portfolio:

  • Barbé J. . ARGÓ Workshop: “New strategies for the treatment of infectious disease”, Faculty of BioSciences, UAB. May 2019. 
  • Campoy S, Llagostera M. ARGÓ Workshop: “ARGÓ research lines in biosciences”, Faculty of BioSciences, UAB. May 2018.

Dissemination activities

The Molecular Microbiology Group actively promotes the dissemination of its work and research goals through the organization and participation in workshops, lectures at library halls and high schools, TV interviews and other means. Here are some examples of these dissemination activities.

  • TV interview: Llagostera M. Terrícoles, Betevé. 2019.
  • Article: Erill, I. “Antibiotic resistance is not new – it existed long before people used drugs to kill bacteria“, The Conversation. June 2019.
  • Article: Llagostera M, Campoy S, Lope S. “The Tiny Earth experienced in Catalonia. A case for citizen science.” Ciències. 38:44-51. 2019.
  • Library talk: Llagostera, M. “Viruses against bacteria”, Visions de Ciència: Antibiòtics i Salut Pública. Biblioteca Sagrada Família (Barcelona). May 2019.
  • Library talk: Barbé, J. “Bacterial resistance to antibiotics”, Visions de Ciència: Antibiòtics i Salut Pública. Biblioteca Vila de Gràcia (Barcelona). April 2019.
  • Library talk: Llagostera, M. “A history of antibiotics”, Visions de Ciència: Antibiòtics i Salut Pública. Biblioteca El Clot (Barcelona). April 2019.