That was the Long Night of Research

On Friday, April 27, the Vienna Biocenter opened its doors to the public for the Long Night of Research 2012.  Between 4.30 and 11.00 p.m., close to 600 visitors were eager to find out which questions researchers are tackling at the IMP and neighboring  VBC-institutions.  

The two groups representing the IMP were extremely popular that night. Visitors (not only kids) loved the worm-puzzle and engaged in competitions to find out who was the fastest to fit gonads and guts in their proper place. Carrie Cowan and her team handed out numerous “Hunt the Worm” kits and are now receiving the first probes that are returned to be phenotyped at the IMP.
 
The group of Barry Dickson displayed a fascinating spectrum of fly-behaviour including the mating dance and mating song of Drosophila melanogaster. The visitors were impressed by the complexity of the fly’s behaviour and by the detailed brain-map compiled by “Brain-Gazer”. It was an eye-opener to many who had previously seen Drosophila only as a nuisance around the house.
 
Among the visitors to the VBC was Karlheinz Töchterle, the Federal Minister for Science and Research. Three TV-stations were filming the event and will release the material in the coming days. A big thank you to all organizers and helpers – see you in 2014!