The Mediterranean Researchers' Night (MEDNIGHT) in Valencia is organized by the University of València (UV), FISABIO, INCLIVA and the CSIC. It is a program of science dissemination activities for all audiences, the afternoon and evening of Friday, September 24. Valencia thus joins the "European Researchers' Night", an event that is held in 370 European cities and that in the Turia River Park, in front of the Palau de la Música, will include workshops and performances with Mediterranean science as a common thread. Admission is free with limited capacity.

The Institute of Integrative Systems Biology I2SysBio will be present at MEDNIGHT through a workshop that explores the beneficial faces of microorganisms. There is no doubt that bacteria and viruses have a bad reputation because some are pathogens that can cause serious problems to humans or the animals and plants we care about. However, most bacteria are not pathogenic and perform essential functions in the functioning of the planet. In fact, there are many examples of beneficial bacteria (starting with our intestinal microbiota) and research is also being done on how to use bacteria in many industrial processes or to remedy very serious environmental problems, such as the accumulation of plastics in ecosystems. Starting from the idea that viruses and bacteria are the most diverse entities on our planet, the workshop introduces us to the enormous number of these microscopic beings that surround us. We will be able to discover surprising and fundamental aspects of life and what bacteria and viruses can do for us and for the rest of living beings on Earth. The workshop proposes bioprospecting, an activity that allows us to discover them in the natural environment and develop biomedical and biotechnological applications from them.

In this workshop, I2SysBio research staff will present aspects related to the beneficial nature of bacteria through very simple demonstrations. The activity has been designed and will be presented by research staff and students of the institute: Pilar Domingo Calap, Angela Vidal Verdú, Esther Molina Menor, Alba Iglesias, Alba Arévalo, Leila Satari, Paola Corbín, Alba Calonge, Lucas Mora, Robby Concha-Eloko, Amanda Martinez, Mireia Bernabéu, Mar Balanzá, Jorge Moreno, Beatriz Beamud and Marisa Domingo.

MEDNIGHT is a European project that for three months has brought the science that is done in several Mediterranean countries to different cities bathed by the sea. València thus joins Cartagena, Murcia, Orihuela, Alacant, Castelló de la Plana, Messina, Crete, Limnos, Nicosia and Malta in this celebration. The Valencia event coincides with the European Researchers' Night in 370 other cities in Europe. It is the 'end of the party' for MEDNIGHT, a project that has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program within the framework of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie actions formed by a consortium of 13 entities. All activities have a common objective: to promote and value Mediterranean Science and especially highlight the work carried out by women researchers.

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