Crastina is a platform for the exchange of experience, knowledge and inspiration regarding both scientific peer-to-peer communication and science dissemination

What? An international network of (mostly young) people who love to communicate science & tech.
Why? We think science needs to be communicated with more passion and professionalism.
Where? On our website with interviews & resources + on social media + on Skype and IRL.
Who? A content group (the Crew), a think tank (the Academy), + lots of friends & contacts.
When? Right now – as a matter of fact, we’ve just geared up.

Break the mold with a graphical abstract (Luc Cox, February 2015)

Graphical abstracts is one of many ways to adapt scientific communication to a quickly evolving media landscape. Luk Cox, scientific illustrator with a background in molecular biology, has a clear message: it is time for old dogs to learn some new tricks.

Interviews, Opinion & Reflection

Scientific Sketching—amazing artwork in the bio labs of IDIBAPS, Barcelona

An urban life drawing event in Barcelona inspired the staff at IDIBAPS, a center dedicated to research in the field of biomedicine. In the fall of 2014, the doors to the labs were opened for drawing artists—with stunning results.

Interviews

Inari Kolu—early career geneticist and experienced singer-songwriter

Inari Kolu: "Science & music both need determination and blind belief in yourself". Crastina presents the first of a series of interviews with young scientists who not only pursue a career in the academic world but who also are passionate about a side project.

Our current theme: “SciComm in Africa”

Pearl Osirike: “The beginning of a new era: science communication in Africa”

A Crastina Column by Pearl Osirike, Ph.D. student at West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), University of Ghana.

Read the Crastina Column

This time, we will learn more about SciComm activities emerging from a geographical area which is often overlooked in the general discussion about science and its communication: Africa.

On the one hand, it is true that African academia has to cope with persistent challenges like poor funding, inadequate infrastructure, staff shortages and recruitment problems. The everyday struggle of experimental scientists is hard to imagine for those who work in labs in Europe and North America. For example, the difficulty of transporting tissue samples and biomolecules sometimes add weeks and months to projects – parcels are lost, frozen samples become thawed and are ruined on the way, et cetera.

On the other hand, anyone who studies the websites of African universities and research institutes will be met by an impressing vitality and optimism. Innumerous projects are ongoing across this vast continent, and many of them include SciComm activities which all provide a lesson for anyone ready to read, ask and reflect.

We have rarely felt such anticipation when initiating a theme here at Crastina; we are confident that we all – authors and readers have much – to learn.

For The Crastina Crew

Olle Bergman, Project Leader