EMBL Grenoble took part once again in Parvis des Sciences, highlighting EMBL’s efforts towards engaging with the general public and the importance of the human factor in AI development
For over thirty years, France has celebrated the Fête de la Science, a national week dedicated to science in all its forms, making research and discovery more accessible to everyone.
Launched in 2007 as part of this celebration, the Parvis des Sciences is a flagship event in Grenoble organised by the GIANT Innovation Campus, of which EMBL Grenoble is a founding member. This year, EMBL Grenoble joined forces with its European Photon and Neutron (EPN) campus partners – the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) and the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) – to share a joint stand during the public day, which welcomed more than 1,700 visitors.
For almost five years, PhD students, researchers, engineers, and technicians from EMBL Grenoble have been participating in this special day dedicated to science and technology outreach activities. This year’s theme, ‘Intelligences’, offered a broad canvas for creativity, inspiring contributors to explore both the diversity and complexity of intelligence across different branches of the sciences.
Thanks to the Science Education and Public Engagement (SEPE) team’s thoughtfully designed activities, volunteers could easily connect with curious minds from across the region and spark meaningful conversations about EMBL’s research.
To demonstrate that agility and patience are sometimes just as important as intelligence in the lab, the popular crystal fishing activity returned once again. Visitors peered through EMBL Grenoble’s microscopes to observe tiny crystallised lysosomal proteins. EMBL Grenoble volunteers also presented the protein crystallisation technique, a structural biology method that uses powerful X-rays generated by synchrotrons such as the ESRF.
Participants then tried their hand at carefully ‘fishing’ a protein crystal using a fine nylon loop, a task that requires both steady hands and scientific curiosity. Only two succeeded, neither of them from EMBL!
Lysosomes are cell organelles that help break down cellular components that are harmful or no longer required. They also play an important role in the immune system. In specialised immune cells such as macrophages and neutrophils, lysosomes help destroy bacteria, viruses, and other harmful particles that have been engulfed by the cell. They’re also present in our saliva and aqueous humour.
At EMBL, intelligence is both collective and, at times, artificial. Some researchers develop or use software tools that assist in decision-making, including AI applications for cancer cell detection.
To introduce the concept of machine learning, the SEPE team created an interactive AI card game that challenged visitors to ‘think like a machine’. Players first identified distinctive features in a set of training images, then determined whether test images shared the same characteristics. The activity encouraged discussion about how AI works, its potential, and its limits in the life sciences, highlighting the importance of training data, careful labelling, and keeping a human in the loop.
How easy is it to generate an image using the latest AI tools? Quite simple, until you realise the results are often imperfect or incoherent, rapidly leading you to the uncanny valley.
This creative activity invited visitors to go back to basics. First, they were asked to compare AI generated visuals and ones created by human artists. Then, they could design their own ‘species of the future’ using paper, markers, glue, and, most importantly, their imagination. Rooted in the principles of evolution, the exercise encouraged young and old alike to think about adaptation, diversity, and creativity in nature.
The day ended with laughter, creativity, and plenty of questions from budding scientists.
Special thanks go to all the EMBL Grenoble volunteers who shared their enthusiasm and expertise throughout the Parvis des Sciences, helping to make science accessible, engaging, and inspiring for everyone.
