Pierre Devahif - MicroZoo - Inforsciences ULB

Diversity of the microworld

On the theme of biodiversity, CurieuCity#2, invites you to marvel at the richness and beauty of nature, particularly that which hides in a city like Brussels.

The microscope, or rather microscopes, allow us to observe this from an unusual angle. I say “microscopes” because there are different kinds, and different techniques for using them. Come and try out some of them to discover familiar creatures in a different way – the inhabitants of a pond, green plants, lichens, mushrooms… – and meet some astonishingly tiny creatures that are nonetheless essential to life on Earth. For example, an algae imperceptible to the naked eye but capable of making glass underwater. It has something to do with… dynamite!

And it is estimated that this group of living beings produces around 1/4 of atmospheric oxygen. Enough to help us breathe. [Oh, and that’s not all, far from it! It still holds many surprises, and not the least. So, would you like to get to know her?… Finally, we’ll be asking ourselves how it’s possible to classify this generally unsuspected flora and fauna. Can we understand their evolution?