145 students from six schools in Navarra have participated in this citizen science initiative aimed at discovering new antibiotic-producing bacteria, transmitting to society the importance of the responsible use of these drugs, and awakening scientific vocations among young people.

The MicroMundo project is an international initiative that began in 2012 at Yale University (USA). Since then it has spread to more than 200 universities in 20 countries. The project involves high school and university students who together perform service learning activities in the field of microbiology. 

The activity developed in Navarra has consisted of five practical sessions, taught in schools between January and March, in which students have isolated bacteria from soil samples and selected those capable of producing antibiotics that inhibit other bacteria. The sessions also covered topics such as the threat of multi-resistant superbugs to antibiotics and how to avoid this problem.

David González, coordinator of the project in Navarra and professor of the Department of Microbiology and Parasitology of the University of Navarra, emphasized the informative and educational component of these sessions for the new generations: "our aim is to disseminate science and promote scientific careers, exposing a real issue (resistance to antibiotics) and thus seek new treatment alternatives".

The sessions - given by students of the Biology and Biochemistry degrees of the University of Navarra - have been developed in classrooms of 3rd and 4th of ESO, and 1st of baccalaureate with a practical and educational approach. Maite Jiménez, teacher of IES Zizur, has described as "opportunity" the experience lived by her students and has emphasized the transmission of scientific culture through projects like this one.

Some students who have participated in the activities -NaiaraArancón and Idoia Ortega from IES Zizur and Andrei Paraschivoiv from IES Navarro Villoslada- have positively valued the methodology used and the applicability of the sessions: "It is an effective, different, practical and fun way to learn by doing science", says Arancón.

On Wednesday, June 12, MicroMundo Navarra closed the 2019 project with the presentation of diplomas to the 145 participating students from Navarra. In this edition, nearly a thousand bacteria have been isolated from the soil, of which only 78 have been able to inhibit the growth of other bacteria. "Now we will have to continue studying these selected bacteria to check if they are really producers of broad-spectrum antibiotics," says David González.

The Navarra node of MicroMundo is a voluntary initiative that began last year and is coordinated by professors and doctoral students from the Department of Microbiology and Parasitology of the University of Navarra.