The first half of the year has been busy and rewarding for our PR group. We organized and carried out several school outreach activities, continuing our commitment to science communication and inspiring the next generation of scientists. This year, we were happy to welcome a new partner school to our outreach program.

As in previous years, both the participating students and our supervising PhD students greatly enjoyed the workshops. Our school project, "The Genetic Fingerprint," invites students to solve a fictional crime by identifying the culprit through DNA analysis.

The workshop begins with hands-on training in the proper use of pipettes, followed by an introduction to DNA (what it is, how it is structured, and why it is unique to every individual). Students then learn about the discovery and development of DNA fingerprinting before putting their new knowledge into practice. Using PCR, they analyze DNA samples and work together to identify the "criminal" based on the genetic evidence.

In addition to our long-standing collaborations with the Donau Gymnasium Kelheim (3rd of March) and the Johann-Michael-Fischer-Gymnasium Burglengenfeld (12nd of February), we once again visited the Gymnasium in Mainburg (9th and 10th of February). We were also delighted to welcome a new partner this year: the Staatliche Realschule in Neufahrn (6-8 July), where we held our workshop for the very first time.

All the six practical courses were a great success. Students enthusiastically participated in the experiments, and the teachers were equally impressed. We are delighted that they are already looking forward to welcoming us back in the next school year.

Our science communication efforts extended beyond the classroom as well. Under the leadership of Dr. Simone Fabian (Department of Genetics), our team participated in the Open Lab Days at the MINT Labs on the 15th of July. There, we introduced younger children to the fascinating world of microbiology through a fun and interactive experiment demonstrating how yeast produces carbon dioxide during fermentation - the process responsible for making pizza dough light and fluffy. The children had the opportunity to inflate their own balloons using the gas produced by fermenting yeast (affectionately referred to as "yeast burps"). To everyone's delight, they were able to take their inflated balloons home as a memorable souvenir of the day. We would like to express our sincere thanks to Dr. Simone Fabian for organizing this project, as well as to the MINT Labs team for their warm hospitality and for taking such good care of all the volunteers throughout the day.

These outreach activities once again demonstrate how important it is to bring science closer to young people at an early age. By making scientific concepts accessible, engaging, and fun, we hope to inspire future generations of curious, motivated researchers while fostering a broader appreciation of science within society.

Finally, we would like to thank all members of our PR group and everyone who volunteered their time and enthusiasm throughout these activities. None of these events would have been possible without their dedication, commitment, and invaluable support.