Public Relations
Experiencing Research: The Children’s Pharmacy of RTG 2816
How can complex biomedical research be explained in a way that even elementary school children listen with curiosity — and want to take part themselves?
As part of the school project week “School as a City”, the DFG Research Training Group RTG 2816 took on this challenge and transformed its research into an interactive Children’s Pharmacy — with remarkable success.
🧒🧑 Hands-on Science – Research You Can Touch
Over several days, children aged 6 to 10 took on the roles of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and junior researchers. The goal was to convey central aspects of our research on drug development and pharmacodynamics in a playful and age-appropriate way — without losing scientific depth.
The young participants were guided and supported by Ph.D. and medical doctoral students funded through RTG 2816. With great enthusiasm, pedagogical skill, and a deep passion for science, they brought pharmaceutical concepts to life — combining accuracy with creativity.
🧁 Tea, Tinctures & Tablets – All Handmade
In the Children’s Pharmacy, the kids created their own pharmaceutical products:
• Herbal tea blends with “active ingredients” from the school garden
• Ointments and lip balms with gentle, kid-friendly applications
• Chocolate “tablets” with imaginative indications
• “Eye drops” made with pipettes – of course entirely without real active substances, but with lots of learning effect
• And plenty of creative product names like “Fluff Drops,” “Magic Tea for Tummy Troubles,” and “Mood Powder”
💡 Science Communication in Action
The Children’s Pharmacy was not only an educational module for the pupils but also an important outreach activity for RTG 2816. Supported by funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG), this project allowed us to present our research in a low-threshold, relatable, and hands-on way.
A key focus was to make the importance of biomedical basic research visible:
How are medicines developed? Why does research take time? And how do molecular mechanisms help us find new therapies?
All these questions were explored in ways that were tangible, vivid, and child-friendly.
🔍 Building Understanding – Strengthening Trust
One of the central aims of RTG 2816 is to promote understanding of biomedical and pharmacological research beyond academia. The Children’s Pharmacy has impressively shown how creative approaches can make scientific concepts accessible from an early age — and how they can foster trust in science.
At the end of the week, the pharmacy opened its doors to the entire “city,” welcoming numerous visitors, lively discussions, and a team of proud young experts.
A special highlight was the sale of our handmade “travel pharmacies,” lovingly filled with the children’s own products. Just before the summer holidays, they became a real hit — a perfect example of how curiosity, creativity, and science can come together.
🙌 Our Conclusion
The Children’s Pharmacy was far more than a school project — it was a vivid example of accessible, engaging science communication, fully in the spirit of the DFG’s mission to promote public understanding of research.
We thank everyone involved — especially our dedicated doctoral students — and look forward to continuing to share our research with the public in ways that are understandable, creative, and full of enthusiasm.