MARBLES Micro Day 2022 Exhibition

To celebrate Micro Day in Leiden, the EU City of Science 2022, three days will be devoted to microscopy in Rijksmuseum Boerhaave! The MARBLES project, Institute of Biology (Leiden University (ULEI)) and Rijksmuseum Boerhaave are joining forces to completely immerse you in the world of the very small!

On display will be a replica of one of the very first microscopes developed, a van Leeuwenhoek microscope. You can then compare the view with one of today's modern microscopes and see how far we have come! With our modern digital microscopes you can count insect hairs, see how sweat is produced by your skin and inspect butterfly wings. You can bring things from home to see its microscopic details!

Learn all about the MARBLES project, a five year EU funded project. Researchers are studying the fish, algae and sponges in the deep sea in search of useful microbes. These are organisms that you can only see with a microscope. And with those microbes they can do really important things, like developing new medicines and ways to protect agricultural crops.

If you want to learn more about the bacterial world and how scientists are trying to reveal and then apply mother nature's secrets to human, animal and plant health, come and visit the Rijksmuseum Boerhaave 22-24 October 2022!

Microscopy activities:

• The world up close; compare a van Leeuwenhoek microscope with our modern day microscopes to see and learn about the microscopic world!
• Microscopy quiz; test your knowledge! For children from 7 years old. The quiz will take place daily for about 30 minutes at 11:00, 12:00 and 13:00 CET.
• See real sea microbes with a real microscope! MARBLES will display all types of organisms from their laboratories; see them for yourself and learn why they are so important.
• How well do you clean your hands? You can grow bacteria very quickly on an agar plate. What grows on your hands and how well can you wash your hands? Label your pictures before and after washing your hands and see the difference at home after a few days.

Recommended for: Children from 4 years old with parents/guardians, the quiz will be fun for children from 7 years old. Except for the quiz, each part will also be suitable for English-speaking visitors.

When: 22-24 October 2022, 10:30 to 16:30 CET.

• 22 and 23 October: the event is free with a valid museum ticket, book your ticket here.
• 24 October: the event and entrance to the museum is FREE.

Registration is not necessary, once there is space you will be able to join!