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SciMingo

SciMingo’s mission is to help researchers reach out to a broader audience, to strengthen interest and trust in science. Through our lectures, competitions and SciComm Academy trainings, we give young scientists a stage and teach them how to take it. Be it in a podcast, video pitch, or written article: we help them find the right balance in appealing to the public, without losing nuance. Like flamingos, masters of balance.
Picture of SciMingo

SciMingo

SciMingo’s mission is to help researchers reach out to a broader audience, to strengthen interest and trust in science. Through our lectures, competitions and SciComm Academy trainings, we give young scientists a stage and teach them how to take it. Be it in a podcast, video pitch, or written article: we help them find the right balance in appealing to the public, without losing nuance. Like flamingos, masters of balance.

Stew before you chew – why the way you cook pulses makes a difference to your nutrition

Do you look at the composition or caloric content of foods to make healthy choices? In healthy foods, not only the nutritional composition is important, but also how those nutrients are digested. Our research on pulses – such as beans, chickpeas, and lentils – showed that the way in which pulses are prepared determines how nutrients will be released in our bodies during digestion. To understand this, we need to look at pulses under the microscope.

Marfan patients team up with researchers to catch their silent killer

The world’s undiagnosed Marfan patients often go through life unaware of the hidden killer lurking in their DNA – a gene variant which may lead to sudden death at any moment via an aortic dissection. Currently, there is no therapy available to counteract this disastrous aortic event, so patient awareness of their condition is key to prevention. To learn more about Marfan syndrome and improve diagnosis, our project needs patients to enroll online in our research cohort. In this way, patients themselves can help us contribute to new therapies and avert sudden deaths.

Bacterial biofilms: cooperative bugs cling to food surfaces even after cleaning

Current cleaning and disinfection practices in food industries are insufficient to destroy unwanted bacteria lurking on surfaces, according to recent Belgian research. Cooperation between diverse types of bacteria makes them stronger and more resilient, causing huge damage in terms of food spoilage, recalls, and health issues. Understanding the development of these microbial communities and their underlying cooperation is vital for assuring food safety, and may lead to developing better forms of biocontrol.

Beethoven and bone conduction: modern hearing solutions based on old tricks

The famous composer Ludwig Von Beethoven lost his hearing at a young age. To keep composing, he actively looked for a way to compensate for his hearing loss. He managed to find a solution by making clever use of the bone conduction of sound. To this day, bone-anchored hearing aids help people stay in tune with the auditory world around them. Researchers at pioneering company Cochlear Limited in Belgium are actively working on the future of this technology.

Obesity weighs heavy on healthcare and human lives

Being overweight is not only bad for one’s health – it also costs society a lot of money. Every year, the Belgian government loses at least 4.5 billion euros due to the direct and indirect costs linked to excessive weight and obesity. As with COVID-19, this issue needs to be tackled as a public health concern: the responsibility of both individuals and policymakers.

Genetic blindness: shining a light on Stargardt for future cures

The arrival of gene therapy in the ‘90s brought hope for the treatment of genetic diseases. In recent years, new and emerging technologies have allowed us to overcome initial limitations, opening up the potential of tackling health conditions that were impossible to treat just a few years ago. Stargardt disease – a form of inherited blindness – is one such genetic condition, where researchers in the EU project StarT are working on novel gene therapy approaches to eventually help patients.

RE-Place project: Reducing animal research through alternative methods

If scientists could stop animal testing, most would do so immediately. So why is it taking so long to develop alternatives to animal testing? And what are we doing to speed up the process?

SciMingo SciComm Academy launches spring program of workshops and lectures

Listening to chaos: could you control a hearing aid with your brain?

As the number of people struggling with hearing impairment is one the rise, KU Leuven researchers are attempting to develop smart hearing aids that use brainwaves to help users home in on specific conversations, cutting through the noise in chaotic situations like a busy family dinner.

SciMingo: bringing science to the center stage

The world needs more quality science communication. The value to society is evident, as clear communication is key to science-based policy and incentivizing funding for innovation. But does science communication help the individual researchers themselves? And what can be done to encourage public outreach?