On September 17, Guangdong Technion - Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT) held the "International Microorganism Day" event, attracting a large number of students to join in. Through various activities including lightning talk contest, academic poster competition and yogurt making, the event stimulated the strong curiosity of students in GTIIT to explore the microcosmic world and brought a strong academic atmosphere around the campus.

On September 17 in 1683, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, the father of optic microscopy, reported the first description of a single-celled organism with his letter to the Royal Society of London. The day that since 2017 was chosen to celebrate the International Microorganism Day, which aims to raise awareness about the importance of microorganisms and microbiology research among the general public and microbe enthusiasts.

The event was organized by Prof. Varenyam Achal, Deputy Dean of GTIIT Undergraduate Studies and Professor from GTIIT Environmental Science and Engineering Program (ESE). It was jointly organized by GTIIT Department of Undergraduate Studies and ESE Program, and supported by the Federation of European Microbiological Society (FEMS).

At the beginning of the event, Prof. Varenyam Achal extended his sincere wishes to the participants:"This activity is a wonderful beginning for your university life. I hope you can work hard to learn knowledge and gain a different university life in GTIIT!"

Centered around the theme of "Microbes: Our friends, Our Foes, Our Future", the contestants expressed their opinions in English. Considering the actual role of microorganisms in human life and the natural world, they involved the future and development trends in their talks.

It is worth mentioning that most of speech contestants are freshmen students, while many of them have been able to clearly state their position and views confidently, winning the audience's applause.

"How can we breed microorganisms that can effectively treat nuclear wastewater through genetic engineering?" "How do you get yeast with higher oil production?" ... In the impressing academic poster display session, the students amazed the judge team composed of professional professors with their excellent ideas and logical thinking. Sparks of thinking were lighted during the interaction between the teachers and the students, sowing the seeds of science inspiration for the students' future scientific research life in GTIIT.

This International Microbiology Day activity brought GTIIT students a brief insight into the microscopic world, letting students feel the mystery of microorganisms, and reflecting GTIIT's dedication to improving students' scientific research ability. Hope there will be more wonderful scientific research activities and look forward to more extraordinary performances of GTIIT students!

Text: Wang Wenhao, GTIIT News & Public Affairs

Photos: Ho Yin Chung