Kids Science Zone

With the story approach kids were able to understand Synbio through genetic constructions and reproduce what they learned wherever they go.

This knowledge, generated in an educative and fun way, was a significative sample showing that kids are a great vector of efficient communication and they have the ability in learning things we consider complex subjects.

The video was filmed on April 2016 and nowadays we still receive reports from parents telling how their children always talk about “Merco and Bactie” story, and this is inevitable when they see the creeks and rivers in the city. We are very happy to pass on to kids the discussion and notion of genetic modified organisms and how it is used in the modern society. Also the questions concerning to biosafety and bioethics. We believe raising awareness in these little fellows will turn them clarified adults about topics like this. The main goal of Kids Science Zone was showing how bacteria are more than infectious agents, but also can be a tool to promote sustainable development.

The story:

"Once upon a time there was a mercury called Merco. He was the center of attention where he worked, by helping miners to find gold. However, new mercuries began to show up, leaving Merco furious. Who those newbies mercuries thought they were to steal his spot?

Feeling betrayed and despised, Merco decided to take revenge on the whole community: he poisoned fishes in the rivers, so everyone who had eaten them, would become sick. They would learn to not scorn him!

But Bactie, the bacterium responsible to clean the river water, found out what Merco was doing and eliminated every contamination. Merco got even more furious and had out with Bactie:

-What do you think you’re doing? Ruining my work? - said the mercury

-Work?!?! - said Bactie, outraged - You are hurting innocent living beings for pure and selfish proud!

-And I’ll keep going with my plan, like it or not. Get out of my way!

Then, Merco created an evil army of mercuries and, at the same day, they had came with their plan:

-Tomorrow we will come to Manaus through Ponta Negra beach, contaminate everybody, and then spread out to the rest of Brazil and the whole world (evil laughter)

But they didn’t know that Bactie had teamed up with scientists to create tjeir own army of Super Bacteria. Their power? Transform evil mercuries into good ones again.

The following day, they defeated Merco and his gang. Once they were good again, they apologized to the community and promised to help in whatever they could, proving again that good always wins evil.