PINT OF SCIENCE FESTIVAL
18-20 MAY 2026
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From Molecular Machines to Machine Minds
What happens when we stop observing nature and start redesigning it? This event explores two frontiers of human-made complexity. First, the engineering of hybrid proteins—where scientists fuse biological parts into new molecular machines with unexpected capabilities. Then, a grounded look at artificial intelligence: its real-world value, its risks, and the trade-offs shaping its role in society. Two domains, same question—how far should design go?
Proteins—the tiny molecular machines that make your cells work—rarely act alone.
Alexandre Kocev
Ph.D Student - Pharmaceuticals
VUB
Evolution has spent billions of years stitching domains together in endless combinations, giving rise to the dazzling variety of functions that make biology tick. Today, scientists are no longer waiting for evolution to do the engineering: we’re fusing protein domains on purpose, creating hybrid proteins that behave like single, unified machines. But what actually happens when you bolt one piece of a protein onto another? How do you make separate biological parts act as if they were born together? And what surprising abilities emerge when you force these into completely new shapes?
AI dual's edge - balancing the value-risk tightrope
Johan Loeckx
Assistant Professor
VUB
Artificial Intelligence shows great promise and has already drastically changed the world: spam filters, route planning software, autonomous vehicles or Google Search would not exist without AI. However, its introduction is not without dangers and requires careful consideration at the personal, organisational and societal level. In this talk, we will give a balanced overview of the potential that AI can deliver, as well as the problems it might introduce, using real-life examples.
