Under the leadership of Professor Raquel Peixoto, four members of the Marine Microbiomes (M&M) Lab ; Inês Raimundo (PhD student), Laura Beenham (MS/PhD student), Giovanna Sabini-Leite (MS student) and Vera Costa (Research Specialist), had the opportunity to be part of the recently launched Collaboration between TKS Elementary School and the RSRC with an exciting and engaging event.

With the goal of bringing the world of KAUST scientists to Elementary students, the M&M lab team gave a presentation to approximately 600 students ranging from Grades 1 to 5. During the presentation, the team explained the Lab’s core research and what they do as scientists. They also showed the students some of the unique research projects related to the use of probiotics on corals that they have been working on.

The presentation was followed by a Q&A session with a group of selected Grade 5 students, who had the opportunity to ask several questions about the team's work and gain additional insights into their research. The M&Ms team was impressed with the enthusiasm and curiosity displayed by the students, as the students' questions allowed the team to explain their work in simpler terms and highlight the importance of studying and saving such a vital marine ecosystem - coral reefs. The students were thrilled to have the chance to interact with the researchers, learn more about their work, and the M&M team used this opportunity to encourage the students to pursue projects in STEM areas and in research if that is something they are considering.

Finally, the team recorded a podcast where they answered even more questions and discussed their work in more detail. The podcast gave the team the opportunity to elaborate on their research, highlight new projects they have been working on, and discuss the importance and relevance of the research conducted on probiotics to the wider community.

The event was a great success, and the scientists representing the Marine Microbiomes Lab believe that being part of activities involving a younger audience enriches the work conducted by the M&M Lab and by KAUST itself, as it is essential to engage with the community and motivate them to take an interest in marine microbiomes and in the use of probiotics as a measure to restore, rehabilitate and enhance coral health.

The Marine Microbiomes Lab is very happy to be part of this collaboration and hopes to inspire young people to pursue careers in Science and Research. The Lab is very much looking forward to the exciting upcoming achievements of this Collaboration.

Learn more on The KAUST School