Researchers from CRETUS, CiQUS, CiTIUS, atlanTTic, and CINBIO participate in Pint of Science

The Pint of Science festival celebrated its tenth edition in 2025. An event aimed at bringing science out of classrooms and laboratories, generating interest, debate, and knowledge in everyday spaces for the public.

Researchers from various centres of the CIGUS Network —an initiative promoted by the Xunta de Galicia that brings together the centres of the Galician university system that have accredited their scientific excellence— actively participated in this edition of the festival.

Among others, researchers Oportunius Manuel Souto, from CiQUS, and Sebastián Villasante, affiliated with CRETUS, presented their research lines in Vilagarcía. Souto discussed his work on organic materials for batteries, while Villasante reflected on global challenges related to sustainability and human well-being. They were joined by Lorenzo Justo, who spoke about the surprising applications of neuromuscular bandaging.

On the other hand, CiTIUS was also present at the festival with a talk held in Santiago de Compostela. Researcher Francisco J. Cardama addressed the computational revolution in his presentation on May 19th.

Various talks were also held featuring researchers from different research centres of the University of Vigo.

Carlos Renero Lecuna, a researcher from CINBIO, gave a presentation on how light can become a very powerful tool in cancer research. He explained how nanoparticles, when illuminated with invisible light, can increase their temperature by dozens of degrees and generate hyperthermia in cancer cells, destroying them from within.

Researchers from atlanTTic, Alejandro Camanzo and Manuel Diz Folgar, gave a talk about lunar caves. These spaces represent a natural refuge in a hostile environment and protect against radiation and extreme temperatures. Exploring their interior is a challenge that requires advanced technologies to convert them into habitable spaces for lunar colonization.

Ignacio Pérez Rey, affiliated with CINTECX, explained, using real examples and a 3D-printed model, how rocks form in nature and why they maintain balance. Meanwhile, Raquel Ríos Castro, from the Marine Research Institute-CSIC, spoke about environmental DNA massive sequencing, a technology that acts like a “genetic microphone.”

Additionally, Mónica Martínez Fernández and Samuel García Pérez, researchers from the Galicia Sur Health Research Institute, brought information to the Vigo audience about immunotherapy as a cancer treatment and rheumatic diseases respectively, aiming to clarify common misconceptions. Carlos Spuch Calvar, from his perspective as a neuroscientist, spoke about mental health and how it affects our body.

The different talks dedicated space to media literacy and debunking scientific hoaxes, especially those related to health and the environment. This part of the festival is carried out in collaboration with Infoveritas, a fact-checking agency specialized in combating misinformation and providing informative context.

The festival shares a common goal: bringing reflection and scientific research closer to the public. Pint of Science was born in 2013 in the United Kingdom thanks to researchers Michael Motskin and Praveen Paul, and since then it has spread throughout Europe.