A number of parallel events open to the general public have been organised to coincide with the international congress. Their aim is to bring Biochemistry closer to people by explaining its impact on various facets of society, and to inspire the biochemists of tomorrow.

This activity includes two lectures open to the general public interested in the following issues:

1. Functional Diet - Health and Aging

Francisco García Olmedo. Madrid, ES

Daniel Ramón. Valencia, ES

2. Cancer - New Approach & Therapies

Carlos López-Otín. Oviedo, ES

Joan Massagué. New York, US

Twenty five of the best high school students from the province of Seville will be invited to participate in a three day course aimed to provide a general outlook of Biochemistry as a career path. The course will consist of three parts:

1. A lecture at the Faculty of Biology on how to achieve a Biochemistry degree at the University of Seville and on the subsequent career possibilities.
2. A visit to the congress venue, the Seville Conference and Exhibition Centre FIBES, to get to know how an international congress looks like. There, the students will receive lectures by Spanish invited Speakers.
3. A short, hands-on training course on DNA extraction so these students can participate actively in the “Genes in the Bottle” sessions (see below).

The students will receive a certificate of their participation by the University of Seville at the end of the course.

The general public from the streets of Seville will be invited to participate in this activity. They will learn the basic process to isolate their own DNA and find out some of the fascinating aspects of these molecules.