MFIG were very honoured to be asked to take part in the university’s British Science Week event at Manchester Museum. By attending public events like this, we are showing our commitment to public engagement and raising awareness of the fungal infection issues. This is an excellent opportunity to meet members of the public and engage them in conversations around antifungal use and the growing issue of treatment resistance in fungal infections.

This event ran for two days; first day was dedicated to secondary school pupils and the second day we had school students, as well as the general public. Over the two days we had over 800 people coming to talk to us at our stand. We used this opportunity to gauge public perceptions of antifungal use and to use interactive quizzes to drive home messages around appropriate antifungal use.

We also had some slides showing lung tissue infected with invasive fungal infections and we invited visitors to examine these through microscopes. MFIG researchers had prepared some agar plates with fungal samples – these were set in resin to ensure that the spores did not become airborne.

For the younger visitors we had an activity where they could make their own fungal ‘creature’. We had printed examples of microscopic fungal pathogens and using air-dry clay and petri dishes, we asked visitors to let their imaginations run wild and create their own fungi. This was also a popular activity with the teenagers (and the MFIG team).

We had so many interesting conversations with visitors; from giving career advice, to talking through the dangers of mould in houses. Having our stand in the iconic Manchester Museum was also a great experience and we all enjoyed working next to the frogs and lizards in the vivarium!