Fully Booked and Full of Fun with the MINTmachpass at iLAB

As part of this year’s MINtMach Pass event at RPTU, children and teenagers have four opportunities to visit the iLAB of BioVT. Two of these sessions have already taken place under the theme “No fungi, no pizza – biotechnology in the kitchen,” and both courses filled up very quickly.

On April 15, 2026, children aged 8 to 10 set off on a journey of discovery to learn how microorganisms help us in the kitchen, for example in making yogurt, sauerkraut, or bread. Through small experiments, they explored whether yeast prefers warmer or cooler temperatures and whether it can work without added sugar.

A week later, on April 22, the 10- to 14-year-olds took their turn. They looked into these questions in more detail and investigated yeast activity under different conditions.

At both events, everyone worked together to prepare a yeast dough, which was then turned into a delicious pizza.

There was plenty of fun at both sessions, and many participants will surely be back. The next opportunities will be on May 19 and June 16, when the iLAB opens its doors again. This time, participants will explore what colors are actually hidden in a green leaf and discover the special abilities of algae and cyanobacteria.

Along the way, participants can collect stickers for their MINtMach Pass at each event. Those who gather five stickers by the end can look forward to a small surprise at the final lecture.