PALPROX at Pint of Science 2026 in Tarragona: Bringing Science to the Public

PALPROX took part in the 2026 edition of Pint of Science in Spain, participating in the event held on 19 May 2026 at Sala Zero (Tarragona). The festival, internationally recognised for bringing science closer to the public in informal and accessible settings, once again transformed bars and cultural venues into spaces for dialogue between researchers and society.

Pint of Science 2026 was celebrated simultaneously in 27 countries. In Spain alone, the festival involved 200 bars across 110 different locations, hosting more than one thousand talks delivered by over 1,250 researchers. In Tarragona and Reus, the Association for Scientific Outreach in the Camp de Tarragona, DivulgaTGN, has been collaborating in the local organisation of the festival for nine years.

As part of the programme, Dr J.M. López presented the talk: “PALPROX: a project to understand the past”. The presentation introduced PALPROX, a project funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie programme of the European Commission, which proposes an innovative way of investigating the past through the study of small vertebrates. By analysing these fossil remains, researchers can reconstruct ancient climates and landscapes, gaining new insights into how prehistoric ecosystems functioned and what they may teach us about present-day environmental and climatic challenges.

The talk also explained how PALPROX combines classical approaches to bone analysis with modern techniques such as ancient DNA analysis and other interdisciplinary methodologies. In addition, attendees were introduced to the structure of the project as a European Doctoral Network, highlighting its international and collaborative nature, the role of the consortium beneficiaries, and the training opportunities linked to the PALPROX Doctoral School and related scientific activities.

The evening also featured a number of engaging and diverse scientific talks. In “From yeast to factory: evolution under pressure”, Andrea Irene Silva Claros from Universitat Rovira i Virgili explored how evolution can be observed in real time through the behaviour of yeasts exposed to challenging environments. The talk showed how natural selection in the laboratory can help researchers understand adaptation processes and discover traits that may eventually lead to innovation in industrial applications such as wine fermentation.

Another charming presentation, “How is a cauliflower built?”, was delivered by Enric Bertran Garcia de Olalla from CNRS. The talk explored how plants develop from a simple seed into highly organised living structures with roots, leaves, branches, and flowers appearing in specific places and patterns. By studying plant development, researchers are uncovering the biological mechanisms that govern how such complex forms are organised and built over time.

Around fifty attendees took part in the event, creating an engaging and lively atmosphere. The audience asked a number of very interesting and insightful questions, contributing to an open discussion and further enriching the exchange between researchers and the public.

Participating in Pint of Science provided an excellent opportunity for PALPROX to share its research with a wider audience and to contribute to public engagement with science in a relaxed and interactive environment.

We would like to thank the organisers of the festival, as well as DivulgaTGN, the scientific community, and the local partners in Tarragona and Reus, for making this event possible.