The lab regularly contributes to science communication activities, including ‘Spooky Science’ and similar events around the University of Liverpool. Some of the larger events we have led or contributed to are listed below:

 

Antiviral Roller Skating 2025

Over summer 2025, the lab, led by I’ah worked with Liverpool Roller Birds to perform ‘Antiviral Roller Skating’ as part of the British Science Festival 2025, supported by an Outreach and Engagement Grant from the Microbiology Society. The performance took place at the Unity Theatre in Liverpool on Friday 12th September 2025. Huge thanks to everyone who took part, from the lab this was led by I’ah, Rebee and Max, with support from other lab members, and this couldn’t have been done without the wholehearted support of the Liverpool roller birds team.

People roller skating indoors

This performance was billed: “Throwback: it’s summer 2020, lockdowns are looming, you’ve bought yourself a pair of roller skates to cure your boredom…

Swoop over to see the Liverpool Roller Birds dance against an amazing, animated background and find out how antivirals are designed, in a unique collaboration with the Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Systems Biology and the Department of Infection Biology and Microbiomes (University of Liverpool).
During this performance, the skaters will reveal what coronaviruses get up to inside your cells during infection and how scientists design drugs to stop them.”

We received great audience and skater feedback, and the event is being highlighted in the prospectus for those hosting events and performances for BSF 2026 in Southampton, as well as in the University of Liverpool’s reports on the festival.

News 1   News 2   LinkedIn clip from Dr Elli Wright (LSTM)   Southampton 2026

Paroketh films supported by Rebee, recorded the performance and a short documentary about antiviral roller skating! Again, a huge thanks to them for their support! These can be viewed below:

BSF Live Performance    Mini-Documentary