Children discover cell biology through clay at Karolinska Institutet
Biomedicum was transformed into a colourful studio on May 26th when children rolled up their sleeves for a Science Clay Workshop that turned cell biology into art.
The half‑day workshop was jointly organized by the Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (IQB), The University of Tokyo, and the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB), Karolinska Institutet, within the UTokyo-KI LINK programme and supported by the ASPIRE programme.
During the event, children had a unique opportunity to meet the Japanese artist, Hitomi Okada. Hitomi, known for her educational work through art, taught the children about the structure and function of cells. After the informative session held by Kristian Jeppsson, lecturer at IQB, the children created their own cell models out of colored clay under Hitomi's guidance.
“It was amazing to see the children’s enthusiasm and creativity as they made their own cells. By combining science and art, we hope to inspire the next generation of scientists and artists.” said Hitomi Okada.
“Hands‑on activities like this demystify biology and show that science can be both fun and tangible. You remember what you can build with your own hands,” Dr Kristian Jeppsson added.
The workshop forms part of a series of KI–UT LINK initiatives designed to nurture curiosity, scientific understanding, creative thinking, and cross‑cultural exchange among young people.