RECETOX once again took part in the annual Mendel Festival in Brno this year. This time, we focused on the topic of soil and its sustainable use. At our booth, lecturers, scientists, and volunteers discussed with visitors how we analyze soil composition – from both biological and chemical perspectives. Popular science activities were also prepared for younger visitors; children could enjoy, for example, sand painting.
“In the biological section, visitors could explore soil texture and observe soil invertebrates – springtails and nematodes – under the microscope. In the chemical section, they had the chance to create a chromatogram and learn how we analyze pesticides in tomatoes or cucumbers. Sand painting is also one of the most popular activities at our booth,” explained Anna Ireinová, lab technician from the RECETOX Mechanistic Environmental Toxicology unit.
In the afternoon, as part of the accompanying program, researcher and PhD student Lenka Suchánková from the RECETOX Centre gave a lecture titled “Sustainable Development – The Greatest Challenge of Our Time?”
The total attendance reached 10,475 participants. The expert lectures held in the CEITEC MU atrium attracted 250 attendees, the family program welcomed 2,430 visitors, and 485 people took part in guided tours of the campus (SIMU, Anatomical Museum), the Moravian Provincial Archive, and the brewery at Mendel Square.
Summer School took place at the RECETOX facilities and brought together experts, researchers, and young professionals from different countries. The programme consisted of two complementary modules addressing key topics related to the assessment and management of chemical risks.
