Soapbox Science Berlin

22/10/2024

21/06/2024

The Open Knowledge Lab presents:

With Soapbox Science Berlin, we want to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy, learn from, heckle, question, probe, interact with and be inspired by some of our leading scientists. No middle man, no PowerPoint slide, no amphitheatre – just remarkable women and non-binary scientists who are there to amaze you with their latest discoveries, and to answer the science questions you have been burning to ask.

This is a special edition of our event with the Berlin University Alliance for the LNDWBerlin.

The speakers will speak on the topics of democracy, diversity, participatory governance in science, water, academic freedom and mental health in the city.

Meet the Speakers:

1. Dr. Joana Grah, Robert Koch-Insitut
“Wie intelligent KI wirklich ist und wie sie uns hilft, Infektionen besser zu verstehen”

2. Dr. Eleftheria Saplaoura, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology

“Plant Messenger: How nature communicates without a phone”
3. Dr. Erika Martínez Ruiz, Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries
“The microscopic adventures of chytrids & cyanobacteria in a polluted world”

04/06/2024

Think of our genome as an expansive library housing about 25,000 books.

These books, our genes, are packed with information on everything from how our cells' building blocks are made to how these cells survive and respond to the environment. However, nestled between the chapters of these books are pages written in a language as indecipherable as Linear A! To understand the books' full message, our pinpoint the chapter boundaries and excise these unreadable pages.

Sometimes, though, mistakes can happen that could cause diseases.

This editing is akin to RNA splicing, a vital cellular process crucial for maintaining the integrity and functionality of our genetic information. By researching RNA splicing, scientists aim to create treatments for diseases previously considered undruggable.

Dr. Annita Louloupi is an RNA biologist with expertise in RNA splicing and OMICs technologies. She currently works as a Gene Regulation Scientist at Bayer Pharmaceuticals and applies her knowledge of RNA biology to advance drug discovery efforts.

Join us to ask her all of your most pressing questions!

June 8, 2024 - 3 pm, Holzmarkt25,

https://berlinsoapboxscience.wordpress.com/

28/05/2024

Just like humans, plants are made of many cells, but they can't move or think like us. Instead, they rely on an incredible communication system to grow and thrive. The phloem acts like the plant's internet, connecting roots to flowers and transporting essential nutrients and signals. Among these signals are messenger RNAs (mRNAs), tiny messengers carrying genetic instructions for protein-making. The fascinating part? We still don't fully understand how plants choose which mRNAs to send. Unlocking this mystery could revolutionize farming in a changing climate.

Dr. Eleftheria Saplaoura is a postdoctoral researcher in Max Planck Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology. She is interested in RNA biology, currently focusing on how messenger RNAs are involved in cell-to-cell communication in plants.

Join us to ask her all of your most pressing questions!

June 8, 2024 - 3 pm, Holzmarkt25, Berlin
https://berlinsoapboxscience.wordpress.com/

22/05/2024

Maria Kallimani (she/her) is a doctoral student at Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, originally hailing from Greece. Her fascination with the origins of ocean waves sparked a journey into physics, leading her to delve into the intricate mathematics embedded within the laws of nature.

In Berlin, Maria and her research group are dedicated to unraveling these mathematical complexities. Her upcoming talk, "Symmetries of an asymmetric world" explores the profound role symmetry plays in the elegance of natural phenomena, from the delicate patterns of butterfly wings to timeless artworks.

Let's find out together how we can be almost sure that the sun will rise tomorrow and why the world is not upside down in Australia!

June 8, 2024 - 3 pm, Holzmarkt25, Berlin
https://berlinsoapboxscience.wordpress.com/

20/05/2024

Here we go again:

Originally from France, Audrey Kahn (she/her) went to Maastricht University to receive her Bachelor pf Science and pursue her studies with a Master of Science at Sorbonne Université. After a year of traveling and involvement in different feminist organizations, Audrey moved to Hamburg to begin her PhD in Neuro-Immunology at the Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg, part of the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany in October 2022. She is now a second-year PhD student.

During her talk, she will teach us about how we can study and understand the disease Multiple Sclerosis (MS), an auto-immune disease more predominant in women. How can we try to hijack its mechanisms to develop treatments?

June 8, 2024 - 3 pm, Holzmarkt25, Berlin
https://berlinsoapboxscience.wordpress.com/

17/05/2024

Was the “Red Planet” ever habitable?

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has sent a rover, a car-sized mobile machine equipped with various scientific instruments, to Mars to analyze Martian rocks which can tell if the necessary conditions for life, such as liquid water, ever existed.

Ana Lomashvili (she/her) is a researcher and PhD candidate at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and part of the rover team. She has a background in engineering and will talk about the mission and her work of using artificial intelligence methods to support the visual analysis of rocks on Mars.

Make sure to join us and bring her your questions!

June 8, 2024 - 3 pm, Holzmarkt25, Berlin
https://berlinsoapboxscience.wordpress.com/

16/05/2024

Up next: Dr. Sarah Kramer (she/her)

When a virus spreads through a human population, the resulting outbreak sometimes unfolds in unexpected ways. The situation becomes even more complicated when multiple viruses are spreading at once, because some viruses can interact - getting infected with one may either help protect you from, or make you more vulnerable to, another virus. In these cases, mathematics are a powerful tool for understanding why outbreaks occur the way they do, and for exploring interventions like vaccination that can help prevent people from getting sick.

If you want to learn more about this, make sure you join us, as we learn all about understanding epidemics using math from Dr. Sarah Kramer, an epidemiologist at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin.

June 8, 2024 - 3 pm, Holzmarkt25, Berlin
https://berlinsoapboxscience.wordpress.com/

15/05/2024

What do shoelaces and Christmas lights have to do with math and physics? What is mathematics besides numbers and equations, and how can we make algebra our ally to solve questions that have remained unanswered for centuries?

Isabela Recio (she/her) was born in Bogotá, Colombia, where she completed her undergraduate degree in physics. She then moved to Hamburg to pursue her Master's Degree in Mathematical Physics.
Now Isabela is a PhD student in the Algebra and Number Theory group at Universität Hamburg, working in quantum topology and representation theory.

Let's talk about knot theory to find out more!

June 8, 2024 - 3 pm, Holzmarkt25, Berlin
https://berlinsoapboxscience.wordpress.com/

14/05/2024

Every year millions of women grow a human brain, but have you ever thought about how your brain was formed?

Fiona O’ Donovan (she/her) is a third year PhD student studying infant brain development. She is correctly doing her research at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and is also affiliated with the Einstein Center for Neurosciences

In her talk, Fiona will tell us about the fascinating process of brain development during pregnancy. She will inform you of what could alter our brain development during pregnancy and what this could mean as the brain continues to develop throughout life.

Sounds good to you? Then come to our event!

June 8, 2024 - 3 pm, Holzmarkt25, Berlin
https://berlinsoapboxscience.wordpress.com/

13/05/2024

Happy Monday! Why we're happy?
We have another speaker reveal!

Next up: Dr. Harihar Jaishree Subrahmaniam 🌳🌿

Walking into a garden, along a forest footpath, or even in your own backyard, one might find plants in the company of other plants. And like all good neighbors, they interact. Beneath the soil's surface, there's a hidden world of communication, a bustling community where plants form alliances and rivalries without a single word spoken.

Dr. Harihar Jaishree Subrahmaniam (she/her) is currently a postdoc researcher at Universität Hamburg where she is trying to understand the below-ground chemical language of plant cooperation. Her research delves into this secret world, focusing on how these interactions happen and why they matter, through the lens of a humble yet remarkable plant, Arabidopsis.

She believes that the biggest benefit that comes from our evolution is the ability to help one another. Hence, along with pursuing her love for understanding plant lives, she is also a passionate mentor for young girls and women to help them find fulfilling STEM careers.

10/05/2024

TGIF, let's get another speaker introduced: Dr. Larissa Arantes

Dr. Larissa Arantes (she/her) is a biologist interested in applying genomic tools for biodiversity conservation. She holds a PhD in Genetics from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil, where she investigated the phylogeography and hybridization between sea turtles species. Since then, Larissa has widened her expertise by working on population and conservation genomics of endangered species (sloths, Asian elephants, softshell turtles, and more!), and developing and learning new genomic methods. Currently, she’s a postdoctoral researcher at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, in Berlin, working on sloth's population genomics.

During her talk, she will tell us about the use of genomics for species conservation. She’ll showcase her study on two-toed sloths, where she discovered hidden genetic diversity in the unexplored Amazon, suggesting the existence of potential new species. Additionally, Larissa will present her work on three-toed sloths from the Atlantic Forest and discuss the importance of large, connected, and protected areas for species conservation. She wants to raise awareness among the audience about the human impact on sloths conservation and inform them about her strategy to generate knowledge about the conservation status of sloths: Genomics.