Day of Sciences - 24 November 2013

Marine @UGent members will be present at the Day of Sciences on Sunday 24 November 2013, with a varied set of activities.

(1) Nematology Research Group:

The multidisciplinary research will be represented by 12 stands in the peristylium (K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, Ghent) including several experiments. This will be done in cooperation with the marine section, the lab of prof. Gheysen and the Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research.

Kid’s activities in the Victoria regia greenhouse (botanical garden, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, Ghent) include:

- A colouring competition: children can colour different drawings with nematodes; the best one will be rewarded with a prize.

- ‘Van Aardappel tot Zee’: a (colour)book including a drawing and short nematode story for each letter of the alphabet.

- Monsters, Uni: via little doors to be opened, you meet different nematodes who can look like monsters.

- Photo-panel: you can put your head through the hole and make a picture.

- Game of worms/Worms and ladders: adapted game of goose for primary school children/secondary school children and older.

- A travel around the world of nematodes: presentation and movie about different nematodes.

There is also a bar and exotic fingerfood.

You can take part in a guided tour in the laboratories for which you have to subscribe: 

You can bring along a sample from your garden, a forest, football or golf-field, or your compost heap and discover which nematodes are found in there.  

(2) Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology:

The UGent Lab of Environmental Toxicology will display some of its marine ecotoxicology research with posters aimed at a wide audience. Scientists will demonstrate the isolation of microplastics from sediments and the use of passive samplers for detecting and analysing the toxicity of organic pollutants. 

Visitors will be able to look at microplastics and toxic microalgae under a microscope and see how advanced techniques such as Computer Tomography scanning or X-ray fluorescence analyses are used to analyse the internal distribution of pollutants in marine organisms.

You can also visit the Research Vessel Simon Stevin. Read more here.