The Molecular Journey is a science popularisation action that will crisscross the region in schools, high schools and science fairs to immerse visitors in the molecule world in between molecular interactions. Four workshops are offered, according to age, as animated by our team made of researchers, engineers from the University of Limoges (Faculty of Pharmacy), and researchers from the spin-off InSiliBio (Mehdi Benmameri, Claude Calliste, Benjamin Chantemargue, Gabin Fabre, Maxime Jouaud, Aline Pinon et Patrick Trouillas).
Workshop #1: Construction of molecules using plastic atoms and bonds and following schemes of various chemical structures (sugar molecule, caffeine present in coffee, curcumin present in the spice turmeric, etc.). The realisation of these real 3D puzzles will delight budding chemists from 7 to 77 years old.
Workshop #2: Treasure hunt through the molecules that surround us. You will have to identify atoms and atomic characteristics in different molecules possibly hidden within large molecular assemblies such as proteins. You will be able to navigate on computer screens or graphic tablets using molecule visualisation tools.
Workshop #3: You will be invited to enter a virtual laboratory using a virtual reality headset. You could then move (virtually) in a room and catch different molecules present in fruit, vegetables, flowers, wood, the human body, materials, molecules of taste, smell, drugs, pollutants… This very playful activity will allow you to apprehend, by the virtual manipulation, the infinite diversity of the world of the molecules which surrounds us.
Workshop #4: Accompanied by a scientist, you will enter the atomic cavities of a protein. This virtual reality visualisation will allow you to understand the molecular interactions at the origin of complex biological processes.