On the night of 26 September 2025, the Fábrica Centro Ciência Viva in Aveiro hosted the local edition of the European Researchers’ Night (ERN 2025), an international initiative dedicated to bringing science and society closer together. CESAM was prominently present, showcasing projects that reflect the diversity and relevance of the research carried out at the centre, with a focus on environmental challenges and dialogue with the community.
Among the projects presented, “Who’s who in the deep sea?”, coordinated by Ana Hilário and Sofia Ramalho, researchers at CESAM/DBIO, invited visitors to explore deep-sea ecosystems through images acquired by remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and to discover the biodiversity found in these ecosystems. “Many visitors, especially younger ones, are fascinated both by the deep-sea creatures and by the technology that reveals them. Showing this connection between biology and technology is one of the aspects that inspires future students to pursue this field,” emphasised Ana Hilário during the demonstration. In addition to the Fábrica event, this activity was also present at “BlueNIGHTs” in Torreira and at the European Researchers’ Night in Rural Environments, in Armamar.
ATMODOR, led by Regina Duarte, a CESAM/DQ researcher, which aims to develop and implement a uniform European approach to support air-quality and odour management in urban environments with and for citizens, invited the public to explore the world of odours. Visitors were challenged to identify and describe characteristic odours from a set of seven references, ranging from vegetal and fruity aromas to more unexpected notes associated with pigments and plastics. The researcher noted that the activity generated considerable curiosity, with many participants fascinated to learn how it is possible to train the brain to recognise and memorise smells. Children and young people showed a strong willingness to explore even more aromas beyond those presented at the event. With this participation, ATMODOR reinforces its mission to bring science closer to society, showing the importance of odour management as a criterion for assessing the quality of the air we breathe.
The Air Laboratory, run by Alexandra Monteiro and Ana Isabel Miranda, researchers at CESAM/DAO, presented a monitoring and visualisation tool, with a sensor system that allowed visitors to check the quality of the air they were breathing. “It was interesting to see the increase in concentrations of some pollutants, such as particulate matter, due to the presence of so many participants,” noted Alexandra Monteiro. In addition, participants had the chance to take a quiz to test their knowledge of air pollution.
CURIOSOIL, led by Sónia Rodrigues, a CESAM/DAO researcher, promoted soil literacy and awareness of its conservation and sustainable use. “To engage the public in a playful and sensory way, four interactive activities were organised: exploring the sounds of soil, painting with soil pigments, discovering the animals that live in it, and contributing to a word cloud completing the sentence ‘Soil is…’. In the end, all the activities helped spark curiosity, stimulate the senses and reinforce awareness of the importance of this essential resource,” the researcher highlighted.
Also present at the event was the Ship Clones project, coordinated by Seila Díaz, which investigates transmissible cancers in bivalve molluscs (disseminated neoplasia) with the aim of identifying clonal biomarkers using molecular techniques. This research deepens our understanding of the mechanisms of cancer metastasis and contributes to the development of tools for environmental monitoring.
“The researcher commented that people are often surprised to learn about the existence of transmissible cancers and how different bivalve species from around the world are involved in this phenomenon. She also highlighted that, through the organised activities, children learned what a bivalve is and the various forms they take in our waters. ‘It’s very rewarding to see them learning through play,’ she added.”
Throughout the evening, visitors interacted with experiments, information panels and conversations with researchers, gaining a direct view of the scientific work carried out in Aveiro. CESAM’s participation aimed to disseminate research results and methods and to promote engagement with the community, with a focus on environmental and marine areas.