Tbilisi Medical Academy’s “Micro World” project has been selected as a winner of the Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation of Georgia’s Targeted Grant Competition for the Popularization of Science.
The “Micro World” project aims to raise public awareness on the topic of antibiotic resistance and promote science through participants conducting an independent, thematic research experiment.
As part of the project, X–XII grade high school students will attend popular science lectures, and learn about the challenges related to antibiotic resistance, biosafety principles, and methodological guidelines of safe laboratory practice. They will then independently conduct a research experiment in the Lab of Tbilisi Medical Academy. Their study will aim to collect soil samples from different ecosystems, isolate microorganisms, and assess their potential antibacterial activity.
The project is based on the international educational and research initiative Tiny Earth (University of Wisconsin–Madison, USA), which is implemented in more than 30 countries and aims to combat antibiotic resistance while motivating young people to engage in research activities within STEM.
The project builds on the experience gained by TMA staff in the microbiology departments of the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain) and the University of Wisconsin (USA).
The project’s international consultant is María Trinidad de Miguel Bouzas, Assistant Professor of Microbiology at the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), Spain.