On October 2 (a day dedicated to school groups, particularly middle and high school students), 3 and 4 (days for general public), at the Valrose campus, IRCAN offered visitors the chance to learn about the biology of cancer and aging as part of the Science Festival.
Welcome to the booth of the Nice Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging (IRCAN), a space dedicated to exploring the fundamental mechanisms of life and health. Through several interactive workshops, the institute’s researchers helped the public understand how the body functions, defends itself, and ages.
The tour followed a logical progression, starting at the smallest scale: the DNA molecule. Using a Lego model, visitors were able to assemble genetic sequences and then use a sequencer to determine which organism these DNA fragments came from.
The journey continued at the cellular level, where models and videos allowed visitors to explore the cell’s contents. Participants learned, in particular, about the mechanisms of cell division, made visible through fluorescent markers that highlighted the cell’s structures. Understanding cell division was presented as a key step in cancer research.
Finally, the researchers explained how these findings apply on a larger scale by presenting the model organisms they work with, particularly to understand the mechanisms of aging.
This event provided a hands-on opportunity to try out the tools and discover the experimental techniques used on a daily basis. IRCAN researchers were on hand to explain their scientific approaches to the public and discuss the research that is shaping the future of medicine.
A big thank to : Nour Rebahi & Hugo Castel (G; Cristofari’s team), Alexandre Ottaviani & Nadir Djerbi (Eric Gilson’s team), Alizée Kastler & Pauline Colibert (M. Ferreira’s team), Lydia Artières (C. Gaggioli’s team), Aldine Amiel, Renaud Rebillard & Mickael Wurtz (E. Röttinger’s team), Christina Cayron & Nesrine Rachedi (P. Hoffman’s team), Laurence Bianchini & Manon Lalande (J. Cherfils-Vicini’s team), Roser Busca (G. Pages’s team), Lola Bellone (J. Albrengues’s team) for their involvement throughout these three days, and to Aurélien Doucet (G. Cristofari’s team) for his outstanding commitment to coordinating this event over many years !
