PINT OF SCIENCE FESTIVAL
13-15 MAY 2024
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Nature's Innovations: Combating Climate Change with Rocks and Revolutionizing Tech with Bacteria
Dive into the fascinating world where nature’s own ingenuity offers ground-breaking solutions to some of the most pressing issues of our era. Join us at Pint of Science for an evening that showcases how the very fabric of our planet and the smallest organisms on it could hold the keys to our future. This special event brings together two visionary talks that will change the way you see the world around you.
Climate rockstars: using silicate rocks for change
Lucilla Boito
PhD Candidate
University of Antwerp
Can you imagine a world where we solved climate change with a sprinkle of magic powder?
Climate change is a key challenge of our century, with negative effects on human health, people and livelihoods. It is caused by high levels of CO2 in the atmosphere that we need to reduce drastically. Unfortunately, magical solutions don’t exist, but we could get close if we look at rocks! Fascinatingly, when rocks that are rich in silicates erode, they capture CO2. How does this work in theory? And does it also work in practice? Are rocks the “magic powder” we have been looking for to solve climate change? You will discover all of this during my talk!
Power Lines of the Microbial World: A Journey into Cable Bacteria
Jesper Van Dijk
PhD Student
University of Antwerp - Geobiology
What if I told you that our smartphones could run on bacteria? In our research group, we are seeking an alternative solution for e-waste and have found a promising, albeit unconventional, candidate: cable bacteria. A recently discovered bacteria that is hailed as a star among microbes. Because it is not every bacteria that is crowned “Microbe of the Month” (2022) and “Microbe of the Year” (2024). These bacteria can grow up to 7 cm and have the capability of transporting electrons across the filament. So come join our talk to witness the strides we have made in unlocking the potential of this special bacteria that is simply found in mud.
