PINT OF SCIENCE FESTIVAL
19-21 MAY 2025
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What you see is what you get, right? Perhaps not, what you might not see might be more important than you think! Using the newest technology and cutting edge science, our researchers will show you how the invisible magnetic force has been harnessed via MRI to see inside your body and also how the microscopic world of leaf bacteria holds more surprises than we ever thought.
Magnetic resonance images: just pretty pictures, or is there more to it?
Michele Nicastro & Céline Smekens (University of Antwerp, Faculty of Sciences)
Would you believe us if we told you that by using powerful magnets, radio waves and a computer we could make detailed pictures of body structures not directly accessible to the naked eye? Trust us, that’s possible, and it’s called Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI, for friends). Let us take you on a journey to discover the fascinating world of MR images and of course, their diagnostic potential! Are you ready? Brace yourselves and be prepared to use your phone and participate in our quiz: “Can you see what I see?”
Allergies, pesticides and air pollution: large problems and their microscopic solutions.
Wenke Smets
University of Antwerp, Faculty of Sciences
When the soil is polluted with petroleum, for example, we often add bacteria that eat and degrade the petroleum in the soil to clean it up. I am aiming to design a similar solution for air pollution in the city. The leaves of plants make up a large surface area that is in contact with the air. Furthermore, plants are capable of sustaining whole bacterial communities with hundreds of different bacterial species. It turns out that these leaf bacteria have more than one purpose…. Join us to find out more!
