Carmen Arboleda
As a person of scientific training and concerns, contributing from my humble position to Science is a great motivation. As a teacher, being able to stimulate the students and involve them in the practice of the scientific method, and especially in such dynamic activities as #MelanogasterCTF, as well as confirming the high level of students’ response and interest in the project, has been very attractive and satisfactory. All the students in one way or another have collaborated and I have tried to enhance their skills.
The most important thing is to introduce new methodologies and attractive resources to stimulate students; bring them closer to the world of Science and demonstrate to the rest of society that such young people can participate in an international scientific project of great relevance. Plus, they’re doing great. Motivated youth is the most powerful.
For the rest of the students and teachers at the center, #MelanogasterCTF is being very attractive. It encourages them to participate in projects of this type. Realizing the level of student involvement is inspiring. Publicizing the project is very positive for the relationship of the center with the rest of the social community, and the project is attractive and positive for families and the environment.
For my school, it is a great opportunity to be able to participate in a Citizen Science project such as #MelanogasterCTF. For the students, it is very stimulating, they feel useful and satisfied. For the teachers, it is rewarding and motivating, and for the school, it gives great prestige and projects an innovative image of the center. It is very satisfying to be useful to Science and Society.
It is an act of social responsibility to promote that science advances and that the population is aware of this, science as the basis of the future.”
Adrián Rubio
“Thanks to the citizen science project #MelanogasterCTF, I have stopped thinking or perceiving that science and research are just for people with a lot of training, instead realizing that we can all contribute with our own bit, which is so needed. As #MelanogasterCTF is very dynamic and fun, it ensured that all of us who were participating were having a good time and opened our eyes to science, since we have always associated science with research but we ignore many other phases, which go before and are as necessary. Another very common mistake is the idea of science: we believe that research is only oriented to very complex topics such as finding vaccines or discovering new diseases, and nothing further from reality, we have science present in our day to day and in everyday situations. Personally, #MelanogasterCTF has made me inform myself about other projects and in turn consult the results they have had. I think that my interest has increased, and this is something very necessary, since it is very important to be up to date, especially on issues like these.”
Cristina Arjona
“The #MelanogasterCTF experience has given me a new approach to research the fruit fly genome for possible applications. It has also led me to become interested in more citizen science projects in which I can participate. The project involves several profiles: the responsible scientists, who coordinate it; the teachers of the participating centers; and the students in charge of the fruit fly collection. This aspect makes it more accessible and interesting, while motivating us due to the importance of each and every one of the profiles. Another factor that I have learned is the importance of funding for scientific projects and the fundamental importance of research and development, something society must commit to in order to make new discoveries possible. These projects involve many hours, work of a lot of people, and also money; therefore, the greater our interest, the greater the possibility that it will be funding and can be carried out. Most importantly, good results will benefit all of us in the long term.”
David Fenández
“Discovering to what extent genetic changes advance towards possible genetic variations is an interesting point of view, since for humans, a change produced in DNA in a non-natural way could be studied for hundreds of years, while in these small flyers they can appear in no more than a few months or years. From my point of view, to monitor citizen science projects such as #MelanogasterCTF, each Spanish region should have a kind of “Citizen Science” observatory with available space and tools to conduct local studies in active research projects that citizen need help for solving scientific questions, since I would like to keep contributing. My position on this is always participation, and admiration for science, always looking for amazement towards issues of collective interest, project #MelanogasterCTF is one more initiative to continue my training.”
Emilio Capilla
“This year I have participated in #MelanogasterCTF, a good experience. Being in the laboratory environment I have become more deeply aware of how science is done, I liked it a lot, therefore it has increased my interest in research and science. With the fact of going out to the street, with tools for the collection of flies, with classmates and then all together by groups focused on classification, it also made us understand each other as a class and do good joint work, this made me The day will pass much more enjoyable and accomplished, it was what I liked most about the experience in #MelanogasterCTF. When I had never participated in an investigation, when listening to the news I thought about the merit of those more specialized scientists who finished it and gave the conclusions, but when carrying out this investigation you realize that it is not only thanks to them, but that there are several groups of participants who provide them with the necessary information and material, so you realize that this work is the merit of many more people … and for me, it is satisfactory to be part of an investigation that can help to reach good conclusions. Discovering little things, in the end, we contribute to great discoveries.
