On Fascination of Plants Day, Nadja Nolte, Doctoral Candidate at the National Institute of Biology in Slovenia, took part in an interactive activity introducing 11-year-old students to the basics of sequencing and BLAST searches.
A challenging topic? Absolutely!
Impossible? Not at all, especially when you mix LEGO + curious students + highly motivated researchers eager to share their work.
Using creativity and hands-on learning,
Nadja helped turn complex bioinformatics concepts into something tangible and fun. Despite a few language barriers, she connected effortlessly with the students, overcoming challenges with her constant smile and genuine kindness.
It was a rewarding experience for everyone involved and a perfect example of how science communication can inspire young minds.
👉 Check out what the students discovered when they BLASTed their LEGO sequences!: https://tinyurl.com/22kktbza
The activity was inspired by the Earlham Institute’s LEGO sequencer, a creative outreach tool designed to make DNA sequencing accessible and fun for the public. Originally developed by researchers in Norwich as the Blocksford Brickopore LEGO® sequencer, it’s been used to engage audiences of all ages in science communication and to demystify how sequencing and BLAST searches work in a playful, hands-on way.
Read the full activity idea here: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41592-024-02229-2 
