This Saturday, September 14, the first edition of “Microbiologia na Praça” (Microbiology in the Square) will take the science produced by the Graduate Program in Agricultural Microbiology (PPGMBA) to the Viçosa community. The date was chosen in reference to International Microorganism Day, celebrated on September 17.

For the first time, the Viçosa community will be able to see fermented foods up close, microscopes used in the program’s laboratories, plates with microorganisms, quizzes and interactive games for children. “We’re going to bring our work material, whatever is possible in terms of didactic-pedagogical resources, thinking of ways to transmit information to children of all ages and adults,” says the PPG coordinator, Professor Wendel Silveira. “We’ve been promoting the program in various ways, and now we feel the need to reach out to the population. And since we’ll be in the square, the idea is to talk to all audiences, giving the whole community the opportunity to learn more about our work and get closer to what we do within the university.”

The event will help people learn more about the program’s lines of research and how microbiology contributes to our daily lives. “What we want is to demonstrate the importance of microorganisms in our daily lives. This meeting is something we’ve always thought about doing, and now we’ve managed to institutionalize it and organize ourselves so that it actually happens. We’re going to bring a bit of our day-to-day life to the stand, hoping to get closer to the community and engage in a more direct dialog.”

“Microbiologia na Praça” is organized by PPGMBA professors and students and will take place in Silviano Brandão Square between 9am and 1pm.