EduBiotaLab in schools: making the invisible world visible

EduBiotaLab has now reached schools — bringing with it a clear invitation: to look at the world through a new lens, where the invisible takes centre stage.

In recent weeks, the programme has been implemented in different educational contexts, engaging secondary school teachers and students in hands-on microbiology activities. Sessions have taken place at Colégio Ribadouro, Centro de Estudos de Fátima, Escola Básica e Secundária de São Romão do Coronado, and Escola Secundária Alexandre Herculano, marking the beginning of a pathway that is expected to expand further.

More than simply conducting laboratory activities, EduBiotaLab proposes a shift in perspective: to understand microorganisms not merely as agents associated with disease, but as essential components of living systems, playing a fundamental role in health, ecosystems, and sustainability.

In the activities carried out so far, students have been challenged to investigate microorganisms present on everyday objects, formulating questions, testing hypotheses, and analysing results. This direct engagement with scientific practices promotes active and contextualised learning, bringing students closer to how scientific knowledge is constructed.

EduBiotaLab is grounded in an approach that connects science, education, and society, integrating teacher professional development, the design of educational resources, and classroom implementation. This work is developed within the EduBiota project — a PhD in Science Education — in collaboration with the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto (FCUP), LAQV-REQUIMTE, CIDTFF – University of Aveiro, and the Vila do Conde Science Centre (CCVVC).

One of the core pillars of the programme is the development of accessible, adaptable, and scientifically robust resources. The materials used in the implemented activities are available on the EduBiota website, enabling other teachers to explore, use, and adapt them to their own educational contexts.

Beyond its scientific dimension, EduBiotaLab also seeks to foster critical thinking and microbiology literacy, contributing to a more informed understanding of the role of microorganisms in today’s world — from human health to ecosystem sustainability.

This is precisely one of EduBiotaLab’s central purposes: to bring microbiology closer to schools and make it relevant, accessible, and pedagogically meaningful for both teachers and students. By making the microbial world visible and highlighting its role in everyday life, the project contributes to a more critical, contextualised, and future-oriented science education.

If you are a teacher interested in implementing these activities in your educational context, visit the EduBiota website and explore the available resources. The invitation is open: bring microbiology into the classroom, make the invisible visible, and create new learning opportunities from it.