In its third edition, the LigAção Ciência project – an outreach initiative of the Center for Research in Bacterial Biology and Bacteriophages (CEPID B3), funded by FAPESP – welcomed 20 third-year high school students from the Albert Einstein State Technical School (ETEC) to the laboratories of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences at the University of São Paulo (ICB-USP). The visit, held on May 14 across four laboratories within the institute, aimed to bring students closer to different areas of microbiology, with a focus on research related to bacteria and superbugs.

At the Bacterial Physiology and Genetics Laboratory – led by Professor Marilis do Valle Marques, from the Department of Microbiology at ICB-USP – students were introduced to concepts such as model bacteria, superbugs, bacterial resistance, and colony formation on Petri dishes. João Pedro de Carvalho Pereira, a master’s student in the lab, led the activities and shared interesting facts about the microscopic world. “An interesting fact is that each bacterium measures, on average, about two micrometers – that’s equivalent to one centimeter divided by five thousand”, he explained.

The production of proteins of interest and the development of safe and effective antibiotics were the focus of the visit to the Laboratory of Applied Structural Biology to Drugs, led by Professor Marcio Vinicius Bertacine Dias, also from the Department of Microbiology at ICB-USP. “We insert the DNA sequence that encodes the protein we want to study into a plasmid, a molecule that functions like an instruction manual”, explained doctoral student Luís Víctor Santana Rosa. “We then introduce the plasmid into a bacterium so it can produce the protein for us, like a machine. Finally, we isolate the protein and proceed with further studies”, he added. One application of this technique is the construction of three-dimensional models of these proteins.

At the Protein Structure and Evolution Laboratory – coordinated by Professor Robson Francisco de Souza, from the Department of Microbiology at ICB-USP – students were introduced to bioinformatics, a field that integrates biology, computer science, mathematics, and statistics to analyze, interpret, and organize large volumes of biological data. The instructors highlighted how these tools enable progress on questions that cannot always be addressed experimentally. “We can compare genomes from different organisms and identify similarities and differences between them, for example”, explained Celso Vítor Alves Queiroz Calomeno, an academic research collaborator.

The program also included a hands-on activity at the Research, Outreach and Teaching Laboratory led by Professor Rita de Cássia Café Ferreira, from the Department of Microbiology at ICB-USP. There, students took part in assembling an antibiogram – from plating bacteria to applying antibiotic discs – guided by mentors from the #Adote Project.

For the students, the experience provided an opportunity to engage directly with concepts previously confined to textbooks, broadening their understanding of scientific practice and its possibilities. “Being close to a field many of them intend to pursue is important and helped inspire the students”, said one participant in an anonymous post-event survey.

Initiatives such as LigAção Ciência reinforce the role of public universities in training new talent and strengthening the connection between science and society, sparking young people’s interest in scientific careers and contributing to a more accessible and engaged scientific culture. “Everyone in the laboratories explained things very well. Today I learned more than I do at school”, concluded another student.

Acknowledgments and team – The CEPID B3 team thanks all the students from the Albert Einstein State Technical School for their enthusiasm, interest, and dedication during the visit. We also thank Professor Andrea Didonato for encouraging the students and accompanying the group throughout the activities carried out at the institute.

Laboratory teams:
Professor Rita de Cássia Café Ferreira
Bruna Rodrigues Corrêa — Undergraduate Research
Carolina Diorio Nastado — Master’s
Daffiny de Oliveira Suman — PhD
Giovana Tarantini — Master’s
Lara Nardi Baroni — PhD
Nicole Gonçalves Picinin — PhD
Pedro Lucas Batalha Marcelino — Master’s

Professor Marcio Vinicius Bertacine Dias
Danilo Pavão e Pavão — PhD
Guilherme Henrique Aparecido de Oliveira — PhD
Luís Víctor Santana Rosa — PhD
Luiza Catarina Batista de Alvarenga — Undergraduate Research

Professor Marilis do Valle Marques
João Pedro de Carvalho Pereira — Master’s

Professor Robson Francisco de Souza
Celso Vítor Alves Queiroz Calomeno — Academic Research Collaborator
Eduardo Pereira Soares — PhD
Marcos Vinícius Rocha de Oliveira — Master’s

CEPID B3 Outreach Team – Bruna Rodrigues Corrêa and Bianca Bosso