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The 20th edition of the Catalan Government’s series of educational storybooks centers on metastasis research at IRB Barcelona.
The stories are written for children between the ages of 6 and 10 and it is a tool to foster scientific vocation among young people.
The “Laura and Joan” series of books was launched in 2007 and is distributed to schools, public libraries and hospital waiting rooms across Catalonia
Laura and Joan are at it again! This time, the magic-power-bearing protagonists of the collection of books published by the Department of of Economy and Knowdelge of the Catalan Government, visit IRB Barcelona to help researchers there uncover the mysteries of cancer and metastasis, using the fruit fly as a tool to help them.
The “Laura and Joan” series centers on the efforts of two classmates, who, because of their special problem-solving powers, are called upon by investigators at research institutes across Catalonia to help them with their research. In this latest edition, “Laura and Joan pursue malignant cells”, the classmates join forces with researchers at IRB Barcelona to combat the cancer cells that spread around the human body and cause new tumours. Along the way, they discover that the tiny fruit fly, which they thought was simply a nuisance that likes old bananas, is actually a very valuable tool to help scientists understand what happens when an organism has cancer.
The “Laura and Joan” series of books was launched in 2007 and is distributed to schools, public libraries and hospital waiting rooms across Catalonia, and is supported by an online collection of teaching support tools. The stories are written for children between the ages of 6 and 10, and as of this 20th edition are published in Catalan and English. They highlight lines of real research taking place at the different institutes and universities in the region, place importance on the role of research in society, and foster scientific vocation among young people. At the same time also touch on themes of respect, gender equality, co-education, intergenerationality, good eating habits, and the use of sustainable transportation.
“Laura and Joan pursue malignant cells” was written by Josep M. López Madrid and illustrated by Montse Español.
Donwload the storybook “Laura and Joan pursue malignant cells” (PDF in Catalan and English).
Link to the series “Els contes de la Laura i el Joan” (in Catalan and English).
About IRB Barcelona
The Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) pursues a society free of disease. To this end, it conducts multidisciplinary research of excellence to cure cancer and other diseases linked to ageing. It establishes technology transfer agreements with the pharmaceutical industry and major hospitals to bring research results closer to society, and organises a range of science outreach activities to engage the public in an open dialogue. IRB Barcelona is an international centre that hosts 400 researchers and more than 30 nationalities. Recognised as a Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence since 2011, IRB Barcelona is a CERCA centre and member of the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST).
