A virtual tour of the Aragon Institute of Health Sciences (IACS) will allow the Aragon Biomedical Research Center (CIBA), located on the San Francisco Campus, Peek into laboratories that are not accessible to the general public and learn about exotic spaces, Such as the medical imaging and phenotyping service that is active in research projects with rodents raised in the so-called animal facility, or the experimental surgery service that works on animal models of pigs, sheep, rabbits and rats. This service provides researchers and educators with facilities designed to ensure the welfare of animals, a microsurgical room and three fully equipped operating rooms run by specialized staff. The “Science is open 24 hours” project will make 360-degree entertainment and Interactive tour of the three main floors of the building, where the main scientific and technical services are concentratedto bring this world closer to the general public.
The budget for this initiative is 23,174 euros, of which the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology covers 13,850 euros. this is Led by the IACS Communications and Awareness Unit It has a collaboration with Aragón Virtual to bring these spaces into the digital world. It started on August 1 and will be ready in October. The week of November 7 will celebrate 20 years of IACS and the entire journey will be presented.
The visit will provide a general and aerial view of each floor in full, where the different spaces can be distinguished and located and the complex as a whole can be seen, as well as detailed photos of both the scientific and technical services.
These spaces are rarely visited by people outside the scientific world And some of them, due to their characteristics, still have a more restrictive access token. This is the case for the animal facility, operating room or cell culture lab, where strict security measures are followed.
A full recreation of the facilities will be hosted on the IACS webpage, along with outreach materials that enrich the tour. This content will be designed for the community in general but for students in particular From secondary education as support for the visit and to show, among other things, what are the practical applications of the theories studied in class and how their use is reflected in the world of biomedicine.
Likewise, information will also be embedded in the web space that brings theories and techniques closer to the smallest through experimentation. In addition, work is underway to develop the “Teacher’s Kit”, with the use of materials in the classroom with different age groups.
The Open Science Project has a primary objective Create a virtual space that allows to approach and deepen the science in a fun, interactive and above all accessible way from any geographical point. It arose as a result of the request of the Aragonese educational community which, since 2017, has been interested in visiting the Biomedical Research Center of Aragon, speaking with technicians and researchers and learning first-hand about the opportunities that science offers. Over 2,000 high school, baccalaureate, and course students learned first-hand how to work in leading biomedical laboratoriesThe techniques used, their practical application and how they can have a positive impact on society.
This initiative It will allow access to a larger number of people In addition to updating the contents so that a visit to CIBA is always an “enriching experience”, as they assure from the Aragonese Institute of Health Sciences. The interesting thing about this project – they say – is that it lasts over time » and additional content can be updated at any time. In addition, being completely virtual, it is easy to promote at other events where the target audience coincides, such as Researchers Night or Science Week, or in any corner of the Independent Community.
“Creator. Devoted pop culture specialist. Certified web fanatic. Unapologetic coffee lover.”