Science communication projects in the Burkhardt group

The project

Neurons and synapses in the nervous systems of animals play essential roles in survival, enabling them to detect and respond to threats. Their evolutionary origins are of great interest to researchers, yet a fierce debate exists surrounding when and how the first neuron emerged. Ctenophores (comb jellies), free-living marine organisms, are strong candidates for one of the first animal lineages. Building on its recent discovery that ctenophores have a very unique nervous system, the EU-funded ORIGINEURO project investigates ctenophore neurons with a focus on anatomy, development and function. Insights could challenge the standard view that neural network activity emerges through cellular diversification and synaptic connections.

Local events

In 2024, all group members came together to design a bespoke outreach kit - a versatile toolkit to support the dissemination of ongoing work in the ORIGINEURO project. The kit includes information cards with fun facts about key concepts developed in the project such as evolution, nervous systems and comb jellies; practical activities such as puzzles and an interactive quiz, and guidelines on how to use and adapt the material to different events and audiences. Since its completion, the outreach kit has been used at all of our outreach events.

At the Bergen Aquarium's Researchers' night ('Nattevandring på Akvariet i Bergen'), over 400 visitors observed comb jellies in the dark and familiarized themselves with the theory of evolution.

During the Bergen University Museum's Knowledge Festival, the local community enjoyed free entrance to the collections, peppered for the occasion with exhibits highlighting the work conducted in various research groups at the University of Bergen (UiB). The team presented an updated version of the outreach kit's activities focused on neurobiology through time at UiB. The event attracted a record number of 3300 visitors. Click here to read more about the event.

Two photographs next to each other. Both show a group a researchers presenting their work to the public. On the left, at the Bergen Aquarium, on the right, in the Whale Hall at the University Museum. — The outreach kit activities were very popular at the Researchers' night at Bergen Aquarium (right), and at the University Museum open day (left). Photo: Marion Lebouvier

In addition, group members have introduced comb jellies to the public at the science fair organized during the national popular science festival Forskningsdagene ('The research days') in 2022 and 2023. The two-day fair, organized by the Norwegian Research Council, attracts over 4000 school pupils and families each year.

In 2023, the group also took part in the Family day during the One Ocean Week festival. This event is a yearly highlight for marine academics and industry professionals in Bergen, and includes ocean-themed activities for the general public. During the Family Day, about 5000 visitors seized the opportunity to observe marine invertebrates and discover the research conducted in the Burkhardt group.

Postdoctoral researcher Ruth Styfhals and staff engineer Alexandre Jan presented the goals and preliminary results of the ORIGINEURO project to the public in January 2024, in the welcoming atmosphere of the Ocean Science Bar seminar series organized by UiB Ocean.

Two photographs next to each other. On the left, a woman and a child are seen smiling through an aquarium containing comb jellies. On the right, two researchers present their work to an audience in a bar. — Curious visitors observed rainbows form on the comb rows of comb jellies during the Forskningsdene science fair (left). A presentation by Alexandre Jan and Ruth Styfhals in a local pub attracted a broad audience (right). Photo: Melanie Burford (left), Marion Lebouvier (right)

The project's model organisms and research results were also introduced at an outreach booth visited both by Symposium attendees and passersby during the Michael Sars Symposium in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Finally, the group shared their work with high school biology students from Bergen Katedralskole in 2023, and with 4th grade pupils from the International School of Bergen in 2024. During these visits, the students were invited to explore the comb jelly facility under the guidance of the group's facility technician, and attended a short, age-appropriate presentation of the research work conducted in the group.

Two photographs next to each other. On the left, a group of people is gathered at an outreach booth displaying marine invertebrates. On the right, school pupils and their teacher are observing comb jellies under the supervision of a facility technician. — During the yearly Michael Sars Symposium, participants and passersby are invited to familiarize themselves with the Centre's work and model organisms (left). The comb jelly facility is always a highlight when school pupils visit the Centre (right). Photo: Marion Lebouvier

Exhibits and collaborations

To reach a broader audience, the group has partnered with local and international institutions on projects aimed at raising awareness about the ocean's gelatinous inhabitants.

In addition to being skilled researchers, several group members also like to include art to their practice in the laboratory. One of them is Alexandre Jan, who combines his work as a Staff engineer with macrophotography. In 2024, he co-authored the exhibit Jellyfish Unveiled at the University Museum of Bergen. Divided into four thematic sections, the photographs celebrated the colorful elegance of jellyfish and comb jellies, highlighting their complex role in the marine ecosystem. The exhibit was supplemented with a hands-on activity where members of the public were invited to draw their own jellies, inspired by the diversity of shapes and colors showcased in the pictures. An estimated 16.000 guests have visited the exhibit.

Two photographs next to each other. On the left, an exhibition room at the University Museum of Bergen with an exhibit displaying jellyfish photographs. On the right, a group of people looking at the photographs on the day of the vernissage. — The exhibit Jellyfish Unveiled was a collaboration between the Burkhardt group and the Manet Team at the University Museum of Bergen. Photo: Marion Lebouvier

In 2025 and following a year-long collaboration with the Burkhardt group, the prestigious Paris Aquarium signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Michael Sars Centre. In that framework, comb jellies raised at the Centre were displayed for half a year at the Medusarium©, one of the largest jellyfish exhibits in the world. The aquarium attracts over 800.000 visitors each year, with the goal of raising awareness for the protection of the oceans. Click here to read the press release. (external link)

Comb jellies and jellyfish bred in the Burkhardt group animal facility are also shown to the public at Bergen Aquarium as part of an ongoing collaboration since May 2024. A new, larger exhibit putting gelatinous species in the spotlight was recently developed with contributions from our researchers. It will be inaugurated in Spring 2026, and is expected to be seen by over 400.000 visitors.

In the media

The comb jelly facility was featured in a video produced by the Tara Ocean Foundation, as the crew of the marine research schooner Tara visited the Centre during a stopover in September 2023.

Journal covers

While articles published in peer-reviewed scientific journals are usually inaccessible to the general public, translating research into art has the power to spark a discussion with non-specialists. For that reason, group members - often supported by in-house photographer Alexandre Jan, strive to feature their work on the cover of the journals they publish in. The journal issues below have chosen to highlight ORIGINEURO articles on their cover with striking photographs and illustrations.

Corresponding publications, from left to right:

Burkhardt P, Colgren J, Medhus A, Digel L, Naumann B, Soto Angel JJ, Nordmann EL, Sachkova MY, Kittelmann M (2023) Syncytial nerve net in a ctenophore adds insights on the evolution of nervous systems. Science 376 (6642): 293-297
Soto-Angel J, Burkhardt P (2024) Reverse development in the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 121 (45): e2411499121
Colgren, J.J., Burkhardt, P. The evolutionary origins of synaptic proteins and their changing roles in different organisms across evolution. Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 27, 7–22 (2026).

Contact

Would you like to co-organize an outreach event for your school, or know of an opportunity to share our work with the public? Get in touch with group leader Pawel Burkhardt or Michael Sars Centre communication advisor Marion Lebouvier!