Invincible Invisibles

Invincible Invisibles was a successful event for school students. It aimed to increase their understanding of microbiology and establish close contact between the University and the students.

Dr Revathy Krishnamurthi, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences

They gave feedback that meeting real world scientists at this event inspired them to have a greater interest in science and more than 99% of students asked us to repeat this event in the coming years.

The event had three main parts:

The microbes around us - we explained the importance of microbes and the some of specific roles of microbes in health, giving various real-world examples.

Day-to-day microbes - students were taught to handle and visualise microbes using microscopes. They used differential media to distinguish gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. We demonstrated how the microbiome of hands changes before and after sanitization.

Viruses that kill bacteria - we introduced bacteriophages and their importance in controlling the dynamic world of microbes. The students were asked to make bacteriophage paper models used in a previous public engagement activity (“Let’s get viral”) and filled an activity sheet at the end of this experiment.

At the end of the event, students discussed their understandings on the microbial world before and after the event. This helped us understand how this event helped them overall. I am so proud to be part of the vibrant team that ran this event.