Science Festival: come and discover the world of research and plants!
As every year, the IJPB actively participate in the Science Festival with for 2026, Scientific discovery workshops, readings and shadow plays, meet-the-scientists sessions, and an art and science exhibition.
IJPB scientists are committed to making research and laboratory experiments accessible to the general public during the Science Festival. A wide range of workshops, meet-the-scientists sessions, readings and shadow plays for younger children, as well as an exhibition, will be held at the community and cultural café "Le Court-Bouillon" on 4 October in Rambouillet (Yvelines, 78). There will also be science workshops on 3 and 4 October at the Paris-Saclay science village at lthe ENS Paris-Saclay (Gif-sur-Yvette, Essonne, 91), and at theMédiathèque du canal Murmed (Montigny-le-Bretonneux, Yvelines, 78). A varied programme of activities, open and accessible to everyone!
DNA in Motion! – Workshops
Saturday 3 October 2026, 2–6 pm & Sunday 4 October, 11 am–6 pm, Paris-Saclay Science Village
Come and discover chromosomes in action as the plant reproduces, moving at around 100 nm per second, through video footage. Observe dividing cells under a microscope, and even extract DNA and see it with the naked eye! Puzzles and quizzes for all ages will also be on offer.
How spelling mistakes help us adapt to our environment. From age 5 - workshop
Sunday 4 October 2026 – 3–6 pm, Le Court-Bouillon
Some plants are able to adapt to different environments, while others are not. How can this be explained? Acting out the synthesis of a strand of DNA will help illustrate the cellular mechanisms that generate this diversity and its consequences.
- workshop
DNA Extraction: Put on your scientist’s lab coat! From age 6 - workshop
Sunday 4 October 2026 – 3–6 pm, Le Court-Bouillon
What if extracting DNA were as simple as following a cooking recipe, or as mysterious as a magic trick...? A lab coat, a protocol, and off we go to discover what DNA looks like.
Seeds on a Move! Plant Stories in Shadow Theatre for Little Ones - Illustrated readings ages 3 and up
Sunday 4 October 2026 – 3–6 pm, Le Court-Bouillon
What if extracting DNA were as simple as following a cooking recipe, or as mysterious as a magic trick...? A lab coat, a protocol, and off we go to discover what DNA looks like.
Seeds on a Move! Plant Stories in Shadow Theatre for Little Ones - Illustrated readings ages 3 and up
Sunday 4 October 2026 – 3–6 pm, Le Court-Bouillon
How do plants travel? Through three short stories told using shadow theatre, children set out to discover the amazing adventures of seeds. From the coconut drifting on the waves to the bean that shoots its seeds, and the dandelion that flies away on the wind, seeds reveal their incredible strategies for dispersing, traveling, and giving rise to new plants. A gentle and playful show to inspire wonder and help children discover the plant world from a very young age!*
Plant voices: A plant’s memory - Exhibition
Plant voices: A plant’s memory - Exhibition
Saturday 3 october 6-9 pm and Sunday 4 October 2026 – 3–6 pm, Le Court-Bouillon
Proposed by Violette Eckmann, graphic design student at ÉSAD, Reims, in collaboration with the IJPB.
This exhibition questions our amnesia regarding our relationship with the plant world by offering a fresh perspective on Arabidopsis thaliana. Once merely a model plant objectified by science, it becomes here a sensitive issue. Through microphotographs, the installation reveals a little-known biological heritage that we share with it.
Video in the Exhibition, 6 min 43, link
Meet the scientists - sessions
Proposed by Violette Eckmann, graphic design student at ÉSAD, Reims, in collaboration with the IJPB.
This exhibition questions our amnesia regarding our relationship with the plant world by offering a fresh perspective on Arabidopsis thaliana. Once merely a model plant objectified by science, it becomes here a sensitive issue. Through microphotographs, the installation reveals a little-known biological heritage that we share with it.
Video in the Exhibition, 6 min 43, link
Meet the scientists - sessions
Sunday 4 October 2026 – 3–5 pm, Le Court-Bouillon
Secondary school students: are you interested in science and curious about careers in research? Come and chat with technicians, engineers and researchers to find out more about their work, the qualifications required, and possible work placements...
Plants: The Battle of Flavours and Scents - workshop
Secondary school students: are you interested in science and curious about careers in research? Come and chat with technicians, engineers and researchers to find out more about their work, the qualifications required, and possible work placements...
Plants: The Battle of Flavours and Scents - workshop
Friday 9 October 2026 – 7–8.30 pm, Médiathèque du Canal Mumed
Come and take part in the Battle of Flavours!
Broccoli versus vanilla! Through sensory workshops and quizzes, scientists from the IJPB and the Lavoisier Institute in Versailles will share scientific insights into these champions. Which side will you choose?
updated 13/10/26
Lookback in pictures
Workshop - DNA in Motion!
Co-hosted by Laurence Cromer, "Meiosis Mechanisms" MeioMe team
Co-hosted by Corine Enard, member of the Mediation Group
Workshop - How spelling mistakes help us adapt to our environment. From age 5 - workshop
Workshop - DNA Extraction: Put on your scientist’s lab coat!
Illustrated readings - Seeds on a Move! Plant Stories in Shadow Theatre for Little Ones
From the front to behind the scenes: Rozenn Le Hir, Katia Belcram and Pauline Savourat, members of the IJPB Mediation Group, and Morgane Quesnot, a mediator from the the network "Saclay Plant Sciences" EUR SPS
Exhibition - Plant voices: A plant’s memory
workshop - Plants: The Battle of Flavours and Scents
Two of the co-facilitators: Betty Cottyn and Laury Kermogant, members of the IJPB Mediation Group
Bonus! The Seeds game at Le Court-Bouillon
Animations based on research developed at the Institute Jean-Pierre Bourgin for Plant Sciences in collaboration.
Come and take part in the Battle of Flavours!
Broccoli versus vanilla! Through sensory workshops and quizzes, scientists from the IJPB and the Lavoisier Institute in Versailles will share scientific insights into these champions. Which side will you choose?
updated 13/10/26
Lookback in pictures
Workshop - DNA in Motion!
Co-hosted by Laurence Cromer, "Meiosis Mechanisms" MeioMe team
Co-hosted by Corine Enard, member of the Mediation GroupWorkshop - How spelling mistakes help us adapt to our environment. From age 5 - workshop
Workshop - DNA Extraction: Put on your scientist’s lab coat!
Illustrated readings - Seeds on a Move! Plant Stories in Shadow Theatre for Little Ones
From the front to behind the scenes: Rozenn Le Hir, Katia Belcram and Pauline Savourat, members of the IJPB Mediation Group, and Morgane Quesnot, a mediator from the the network "Saclay Plant Sciences" EUR SPS
Exhibition - Plant voices: A plant’s memory
workshop - Plants: The Battle of Flavours and Scents
Two of the co-facilitators: Betty Cottyn and Laury Kermogant, members of the IJPB Mediation Group
Laury Kermogant and Olivier David, lecturer at the Institut Lavoisier de Versailles (ILV)
Bonus! The Seeds game at Le Court-Bouillon
Animations based on research developed at the Institute Jean-Pierre Bourgin for Plant Sciences in collaboration.
Back
> Le Court-Bouillon
Café associatif et culturel
24 rue Louis Leblanc, 78120 Rambouillet
lien
Press article, link
> Village des Sciences Paris-Saclay
ENS Paris-Saclay,
4 Av. des Sciences, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette
lien
> Médiathèque du Canal Mumed
Quai François Truffaut 78180 Montigny-le-Bretonneux
lien
Café associatif et culturel
24 rue Louis Leblanc, 78120 Rambouillet
lien
Press article, link
> Village des Sciences Paris-Saclay
ENS Paris-Saclay,
4 Av. des Sciences, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette
lien
> Médiathèque du Canal Mumed
Quai François Truffaut 78180 Montigny-le-Bretonneux
lien