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Other Dublin events

Planet Earth 2

Past event - 2023
24 May Doors Open 6pm
Main Event 6:30-9pm
The Bar St. Stephen's Green, Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre, Unit B1B,
Dublin D02 PC04
Sold Out!
Join us at The Bar on Stephen's Green on Wednesday, 24th May at 6:30pm! In this "Planet Earth" event, talks include bacterial-produced plastics, cold water corals, and floral evolution.

How can we work with microorganisms to create a solution for climate change?

Burcu Akkoyunlu (PhD Student)
Microorganisms are very small living creatures that can only be seen with a microscope. There are many different types and they can do a lot for us through something called fermentation. They can produce many things including bread, beer, wine, medicine and plastics. I am investigating a specific type of bacteria that can use carbon dioxide and produce biodegradable plastic. As an engineer, I am designing where to put the bacteria and how to provide the gas it needs. This way, microorganisms offer us an alternative way to tackle the climate change challenge!

Corals and climate: even the ocean gets stressed

Erica Krueger (PhD Student)
You might think that coral reefs are made up of rocks, but they are actually home to living organisms called polyps. Most people have seen colourful coral reefs on television, but did you know that coral reefs are even found at the bottom of the ocean? Although they are very strong, corals are sensitive to changes in temperature, salinity, nutrients, water currents, and more. My research is focused on these cold-water corals and how the changing ocean conditions may affect them. My talk will discuss how different changes in the ocean may cause harm to the corals.

The flower is mightier than the asteroid

Diarmuid O'Maoileidigh (Biologist)
Flowering plants first appeared on Earth about 135 million years ago and humans have become dependent on them for survival. Flowers evolved to attract pollinators but also perform photosynthesis to generate energy. That flowers perform photosynthesis partially reveals their evolutionary origins from leaves, which has been of interest to biologists for hundreds of years. I will discuss what we have learned about the evolution of flowers and how this understanding can lead to new approaches to improve crop performance.
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