Blair and Micro the Magnificent to meet again

Published On Tue 18 Mar 2014 by Grant Hill

Photo opportunity: 11.45am on Wednesday, 19th March at Dens Road Primary School, Dundee. Blair will be receiving his prize with Micro the Magnificent, the microbe he named.

Blair Smart, a pupil at Dens Road Primary School, will tomorrow come face to face with the giant, blue microbe he named as part of a University of Dundee public engagement initiative.

Blair, a Primary 6 pupil, visited Dundee Science Centre with his classmates last week for the ‘Magnificent Microbes’ event led by members of the University’s Molecular Microbiology team and entered a competition to name the giant microbe, played by PhD student Connor Bowen.

His suggestion of ‘Micro the Magnificent’ was chosen from around 300 entries and Connor will reprise the now-named role on Wednesday, 19th March when he presents Blair with his prize, a miniature soft toy version of Micro.

Magnificent Microbes aims to inform the public about how necessary microbes – often called germs – are to our lives as well as the important research into them taking place at the University. Although most microbes are invisible to the naked eye, our bodies contain millions of them, they help shape our environment, and we use them without knowing it every day. 

Pupils from primary schools in the Dundee area who visited Dundee Science Centre for a special event were able to take part in a range of interactive activities, talk to experts from the University, and view the exhibitions on display. They have been tasked with producing projects inspired by their learning, as well as creating graphs and other studies of the differences in microbe growth on the hands of boys and girls.

Erin Hardee, Schools Outreach Organiser, said, “Congratulations to Blair and all the pupils who took part. Events like Magnificent Microbes are important because they allow school pupils and the general public to meet and interact with scientists in a fun, informal setting, which can help break down stereotypes about science and how accessible it is to everybody.”

Magnificent Microbes first ran in 2010, and is now being expanded this year to include even more public engagement and education opportunities, including continuous professional development workshops for teachers, school visits and a celebration event at the University on May 6th.

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Grant Hill
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University of Dundee
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