This September, the iCULTURE project once again brought cutting-edge science to the public, taking part in the European Researchers’ Night 2025 in Norway and Italy—two vibrant events that turned research into a shared adventure of curiosity, creativity, and discovery.
Norway: Playing with Science at NTNU’s Researchers’ Night
At the NTNU Campus Gløshaugen in Trondheim, iCULTURE joined the 21st edition of Norway’s largest Researchers’ Night, part of the national Science Week celebration. The event welcomed over 1,100 high school students and teachers from across Trøndelag, eager to explore science through interactive stands, lectures, and lab visits.
For the second consecutive year, the iCULTURE Lab at NTNU hosted an interactive booth blending engineering, microbiology, and digital technology. Visitors met iCULTURE’s PhD researchers and discovered how seaweed can support sustainable bacterial fermentations—a central theme of the project. To illustrate how scientists control bacterial growth in bioreactors, the team designed a playful arcade-style game. Students caught falling fruits—each representing acids or bases—causing real-time shifts in the pH of a connected bioreactor, visualised through changing colors. The challenge? Achieve the perfect “target color,” symbolising precise process control.
This lively demonstration made concepts like cybernetics, process regulation, and biochemical balance both tangible and entertaining. For many students, it was their first encounter with the fascinating world of biotechnology and digital control systems, leaving them inspired by how software, biology, and engineering can work together to shape sustainable innovation.
Italy: Sailing the Blue Treasure Hunt in Frascati
Meanwhile in Italy, iCULTURE teamed up with the EU-funded project BlueMissionMed to lead the Blue Treasure Hunt at the European Researchers’ Night – LEAF 2025, promoted by Frascati Scienza.
More than 500 participants—mostly children and families—embarked on an interactive journey through five “knowledge islands”: Ocean Literacy, Biodiversity, Blue Economy, Threats to Waters, and Active Citizenship. At each island, playful challenges, mini-experiments, and creative tasks turned science into an adventure.
Every young explorer carried a Blue Passport, collecting stamps at each completed station. Those who visited all five islands earned their final treasure: a copy of “Our Blue Treasure”, the children’s book created within the BlueMissionMed project, designed to inspire curiosity and care for our ocean and waters.
The iCULTURE exhibition added a unique science–art touch to the event, combining visual storytelling and scientific insight. Meanwhile, across the five Blue Treasure Hunt stations, participants explored different aspects related to macroalgae: they examined real seaweed samples and learned about professions linked to marine research and innovation—from biologists studying algae to scientists using them as bioresources for sustainable products.
Led by FVA – New Media Research with the scientific guidance of marine biologist Martina Gaglioti and the support of ARPA Lazio experts Filippo Fratini, Martina Fustolo, and Andrea Bonifazi, the Blue Treasure Hunt brought science to life through play, exploration, and imagination.
Inspiring Curiosity Across Europe
From Trondheim’s cybernetic bioreactors to Frascati’s ocean-themed treasure maps, iCULTURE’s participation in the European Researchers’ Night 2025 showed that science communication can be both fun and transformative. By merging AI, biotechnology, art, and education, iCULTURE continues to demonstrate how engaging the public in science can spark curiosity and inspire the next generation of researchers, innovators, and ocean citizens.