AMPLIFY
Interactive exhibit at the Glasgow Science Centre co-designed by the Bats Go Viral team.
Permanent exhibit at Glasgow Science Centre (GSC)
Our exhibition, supported by the MVLS AMPLIFY competition, takes visitors on a journey from sampling a bat to stopping a rabies outbreak.
Bringing our exhibit to life - winners of AMPLIFY 2024!
AMPLIFY is a competition for MVLS researchers to create an exhibit for Glasgow Science Centre.
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Stage 1: AMPLIFY final
Our pitch selected by the judges.
A team from the Streicker group, led by Dr Megan Griffiths entered the AMPLIFY 2024 competition. Short-listed teams developed their initial ideas with GSC and competed in the final pitch.
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Stage 2: Idea development
Co-creation with GSC experts.
Over several months, we worked directly with the GSC exhibit design team to refine our ideas and finalise the building plans. We learned what it takes to develop a professional exhibition.
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Stage 3: Exhibit creation
Open to the public!
Our exhibit was constructed and installed permanently at Glasgow Science Centre. MVLS Engagement Team launched the exhibit and it is open for visitors.
Bat Viruses - Behind the Scenes
Bats can carry zoonotic viruses, which are viruses that can be transmitted to humans. The exhibit explores what field work looks like for researchers aiming to understand how to combat zoonotic viruses for bat and human health. The back wall of the exhibit shows a graphical illustration of the scientific journey.
Visitors can enter the bat cave to participate in the scientific journey by learning to collect a sample from a vampire bat in the field in Peru, and using their understanding of rabies virus to stop an outbreak spreading.
Do you have what it takes? Interactive games
‘Sample a Bat’ to learn about field work in Peru
Use what you know about rabies to ‘Stop the outbreak!’
Take home messages of our exhibit
Inspiration – I can be a scientist too.
Understanding – I know where the data behind headlines comes from.
Respect – bats are important but we can cause unintentional harm to one another.
The design and building process...
During AMPLIFY, the Streicker group had the fantastic experience to work directly with the design team at the Glasgow Science Centre to bring our exhibit to life. We learned about what is required behind the scenes to make a permanent exhibit engaging, robust to thousands of visits, and safe to play with!
Step 1: After winning the AMPLIFY final, our initial ideas were sketched by the GSC team. We provided the team with mood boards from our research activities and had several idea sharing sessions.
Step 3: Our designs were manufactured by GSC’s contractors. Bespoke mechanical pieces and software were created to bring our exhibit to life.
Step 2: We co-developed designs for the final exhibit with the GSC team. We had to consider how well the exhibit told our message, whether it was engaging, and less exciting but important things including the budget and health and safety!
Step 4: Construction at GSC. Our exhibition is the first of it’s kind, representing active research by members of the University of Glasgow, at the GSC.
For more - check out our gallery!
