Batx2lab at the Structural Biology Unit

On July, we had two students at the Structural Biology Unit laboratories from high school doing their TR, a research work that all the students need to do to obtain the Diploma. During one week they worked with PhD students from SBU in the context of Batx2lab programme. This programme, organized by outreach department of Parc Científic de Barcelona, offers the opportunity to make the practical part from their TR at Parc Científic laboratories supervised by one researcher. During the 14th editions of Batx2lab a lot of students applied to live this experience and only 40 students per year are selected.

Maria came from Institut Camps Blancs, Sant Boi de Llobregat. Her TR s about heterologous proteins purification. Victor from Virus and Large Biological Complexes group guided her through a protein purification protocol and shown her how the day-to-day of a researcher is. “The experience was very funny, I enjoyed everything we did during these days”, Maria said. “I see myself working in a lab. I get really impressed by all the material and all the things can be done in a laboratory”.

Dídac, from the Institut XXV Olimpiada, Barcelona, has a TR about the purification of Vault particles and he did the practical part guided by Maria from Nuria’s Verdaguer lab. “It has been a great experience, to have the opportunity to see which can be the future of a scientific career is very useful to High School students”, said Dídac. He was very impressed about the protein purification protocol, “I am fascinated about the protein purification process, it seems unbelievable that it can occur”. He doesn’t know yet what is going to study at the University, but a scientific career for sure.

After the practical part, researchers support students on writing. Batx2lab is one among other activities that SBU is doing to communicate science and to put scientific work closer to society.