17 September 2026 Discover Hubrecht research at KNAW children’s festival Back to news On Sunday October 4th, you can learn all about research at the Hubrecht Institute at the Wajo! Wetenschap?! children’s festival. During this free science festival, aimed at children ages 8 to 14, you can feed mini-organs and spy on viruses with the help of our researchers. There are also plenty of other fun activities to enjoy, organized by researchers from all fields of science. The festival takes place in the 17th-century city palace of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) in Amsterdam. Please note: this event is mainly in Dutch. Feeding mini-organs What do mini-organs eat in the lab? Researchers can grow small versions of organs in petri dishes: these are called organoids. They use them to discover how organs develop and how diseases arise or can be treated. But every mini-organ has its own ideal diet. Mix your own nutrients, vitamins and growth factors, and find out which recipe helps the mini-organ grow healthy and strong. This activity runs from 12:00 to 17:00 and is led by researchers Robin Scheurs, Sam Willemsen, and Axel Rosendahl Huber from the Clevers group. Spying on viruses How do you learn how a virus works? By becoming one yourself! Step into the microscopic world of an infected cell and discover what’s happening inside. How does a virus invade a cell? How does it make copies of itself? And how does it spread from there? During this activity, you’ll follow the exciting journey of a virus step by step. This activity runs from 12:00 to 17:00 and is led by researcher Janin Schokolowski from the Tanenbaum group. From dinosaur murder to youth slang During Wajo! Wetenschap?!, other institutes and universities are also organizing fun activities. For example, you can solve a dinosaur murder mystery, go on a soil animal safari, puzzle over medieval books and test your knowledge of youth slang in the Skibidi Rizz Language Quiz. Curious about all the activities? You can find the full program and timetable on this page. Registration Register for free using this form to secure your spot. Don’t wait too long, because the previous edition was completely ‘sold out’. Wajo! Wetenschap?! is organized by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), of which the Hubrecht Institute is a part. The festival is part of the Weekend of Science, which takes place throughout the Netherlands on October 3rd and 4th.
