IMDEA Water's on-site activities return to the European Researchers' Night in Madrid

The twelfth edition of the European Researchers´ Night will take place on the 24th and 25th of September, an event held simultaneously in more than 350 European cities. This year, IMDEA Water´s on-site activities will take place on 24th September. We have prepared a wide variety of stands and workshops where you will discover how we approach water research from different perspectives. You will have the opportunity to interact with our researchers who will be more than happy to answer your questions. Join us to become part of IMDEA Water´s research team for a day!

Thanks to our researchers you will learn that there are toxic compounds that affect aquatic life and that some living beings can provide us with information on the health of rivers and lakes. Our recycling keepers will show you how the membranes that help remove plastics from the ocean work and how are recycled. You will have the chance to reflect on water consumption in our homes, learn how pollutants are transferred to the natural environment and how nature can be our ally if we protect it. You will also be able to identify antibiotic-resistant bacteria and find out how wastewater can be sustainably treated thanks to electroactive bacteria.

The hands-on activities include an experiment with membranes that you can replicate at home, a workshop to detect microscopic life thanks to ultraviolet light, a guided tour to the mesocosms (a miniature aquatic world) where you could identify the invertebrates that show good water quality. In addition, you will observe the movement of a pollutant through the soil and our team will show you how samples are collected for analysis. Additionally, you will examine how vegetation filters work and how they help treat wastewater. Finally, you will test how the water pollutants are separated in the lab and their effects on the environment. For the first time, this year we will organise an Escape Room where you will need to solve a series of clues to find out how to clean wastewater by using microorganisms.

All the activities are aimed at the general public will take place on 24th September 2021 at IMDEA Agua, Avenida Punto Com nº2 in Alcalá de Henares, between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. The details of each activity are indicated below:

Booking will open from 13th September at 09:00.

The European Researchers' Night is a pan-European event taking place the last Friday and Saturday of September. In Madrid it is managed by Fundación para el Conocimiento madri+d. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme-Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions – under Grant Agreement No 101.036.010.