Students from Angeleta Ferrer High School present their research projects developed in collaboration with the BIST Community
What does it mean to be a scientist? Asking questions about the world, designing experiments to answer them, drawing conclusions, and sharing results through papers and conference posters—often in English, the common language of science.
This is precisely what students aged 12–13 from Institut Angeleta Ferrer have experienced through the programme “We delve into research with BIST”. Working in small groups, students explored questions related to bacteria and presented their findings at a public event held yesterday at the Barcelona Science Park (PCB), attended by families, teachers and researchers.
Students presenting their science projects at the PCB
The initiative reflects BIST’s commitment to bringing cutting-edge research closer to society and foster scientific thinking from an early age. As part of BIST’s outreach mission, these collaborations aim to strengthen scientific literacy and create meaningful interactions between researchers, educators and students.
Institut Angeleta Ferrer —which combines its role as a secondary school with a broader project encompassing scientific and educational research, pedagogical innovation, and teacher training— applies project-based learning methodologies that place students at the centre of the research process. In collaboration with BIST, students engaged in inquiry-based projects that mirror real scientific practice.
This year, six PhD students and postdoctoral researchers from IBEC —Jarmila Stankova, Davide Arena and Rohit Nautiyal—and from IRB Barcelona —Eleonora Barone, Dragana Radivokevikj and Mrinalini Parmar— collaborated with the teaching staff at Institut Angeleta Ferrer to support the students’ projects. As part of this collaboration, students had the opportunity to visit research laboratories, meet scientists, and gain insight into real research environments, while developing their scientific communication skills in English.
The BIST Community researchers Eleonora Barone, Dragana Radivokevikj and Mrinalini and Rohit Nautiyal at the public exhibition of the Angeleta Ferrer’s students
“I would have loved to have this opportunity when I was their age,” said Eleonora Barone, PhD student at the Stem Cells and Cancer research group at IRB Barcelona.
The final exhibition, held on 18 March at the Barcelona Science Park, showcased the students’ work through scientific posters and presentations. Their projects revealed not only a solid understanding of the scientific method, but also thoughtful reflection and curiosity—sometimes leading to unexpected insights. For instance, one group discovered the importance of regularly cleaning reusable water bottles to prevent bacterial growth.
For the researchers involved, the experience was equally enriching. Communicating complex scientific ideas to younger audiences required them to rethink their language and perspective. As Mrinalini Parmar, PhD student in the Comparative Genomics group, noted, “you have to remember what it was like at their age and learn how to simplify the concepts we use every day.”
Through initiatives like this, the BIST Community continues to strengthen the connection between frontier research and society, inspiring future generations and contributing to a more scientifically informed community.
