From May 18 to 20, 2026, DIM BioConvS and Université Paris Cité once again joined forces for a new edition of the Pint of Science festival at L’Imprévu café in Paris. Over three evenings, researchers and members of the public gathered in a relaxed atmosphere to discuss neuroscience, biotechnology, health, and innovative therapies.
The first evening, titled Repairing and Exploring: The Brain in Action, featured Nicolas Panayotis (CNRS researcher at the Saints-Pères Paris Institute for the Neurosciences) and Pascale Piolino (Professor at Université Paris Cité, Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau et Cognition). Through discussions on gene therapies, memory, identity, and virtual reality, the speakers invited participants to discover how researchers investigate the brain and develop tomorrow’s therapeutic approaches.
The second evening brought together Nathalie Janel and Gautier Moroy, both professors at Université Paris Cité and members of the Laboratoire Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative. Their presentations explored the links between biology, health, and emerging technological approaches, offering the audience accessible insights into molecular mechanisms of disease and current biomedical research.
The third and final evening focused on DNA damage, cancer, and therapeutic strategies, with presentations by Margherita Mori and Delphine Burlet, postdoctoral fellows at the Epigenetics and Cell Fate Center. Their talks explored how DNA acts as the instruction manual of our cells, what happens when this information becomes damaged, and how cells naturally repair DNA lesions. Through accessible explanations and discussions with the audience, they highlighted how failures in these repair mechanisms can lead to cancer and how modern treatments aim to target these processes.
Across all three evenings, the audience showed remarkable curiosity and engagement, contributing to lively discussions and meaningful exchanges with the speakers. Once again, Pint of Science demonstrated how scientific research can become accessible, interactive, and inspiring when shared in informal public spaces.
DIM BioConvS warmly thanks the Faculté des Sciences and Faculté Sociétés & Humanités of Université Paris Cité, the organizing teams, volunteers, and all speakers for making these evenings possible. Their dedication and enthusiasm once again transformed cafés into spaces for scientific dialogue and discovery.
Supporting initiatives such as Pint of Science is fully aligned with the mission of DIM BioConvS: strengthening the connection between research and society, promoting scientific outreach, and encouraging conversations around the future of health, biotechnology, and synthetic biology.
Discover below a selection of photos from this year’s events.
For the third consecutive year, DIM BioConvS is renewing its partnership with Université Paris Cité to support the Pint of Science. In 2026, this collaboration takes shape through the sponsorship of a series of evening events hosted at L’Imprévu café, in the heart of Paris.
Pint of Science is an international festival that brings scientific research out of laboratories and into everyday venues, fostering dialogue between researchers and the public in a relaxed and informal setting. Through talks, live demonstrations, and interactive discussions, participants can explore current research topics while engaging directly with scientists.
By supporting this initiative, DIM BioConvS continues its commitment to promoting knowledge in innovative biotherapies and synthetic biology. The evenings at L’Imprévu will offer accessible insights into the challenges and advances shaping these fields, helping to bridge the gap between science and society. This partnership reflects the consortium’s broader ambition to strengthen connections between research, innovation, and citizens.
When:
18-19-20 May 2026 at 19h
Where:
L’Imprévu Café, 9 R. Quincampoix, 75004 Paris
How:
Register on the Pint of Science website (link to each event below). Registration opens on April 13th and places run out really fast! So if you want to attend, make sure to secure a spot quickly!
May 18th
Nicolas Panayotis (chercheur CNRS, Saints-Pères Paris Institute for the Neurosciences) and Pascale Piolino (professeure Université Paris Cité, Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau et Cognition)
Repair, Explore: The Brain in Action [french]
Come explore the mysteries of the brain! From gene therapies to virtual reality, Nicolas and Pascale will show you how scientists are studying diseases, memory, and identity to invent the treatments of tomorrow. An interactive evening to see and understand the brain in a new light.
May 19th
Nathalie Janel (professeure Université Paris Cité, laboratoire Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative) and Gautier Moroy (professeur Université Paris Cité, laboratoire Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative)
Peptides and AI: Towards Personalized Medicine? [french]
Join us to discover the interdisciplinary collaboration of Nathalie and Gautier, where biology and computer science combine to accelerate treatment research. From the discovery of peptides to personalized medicine, including patent filing and the creation of a startup, come explore two concrete examples of this synergy: Down syndrome and obesity.
May 20th
Margherita Mori (postdoctoral fellow, Epigenetics and Cell Fate Center) and Delphine Burlet (postdoctoral fellow, Epigenetics and Cell Fate Center)
DNA damage, Cancer, and Treatments
The DNA inside our cells is the instruction manual of our body, which tells cells how to grow, divide, and function. But what happens when our DNA is broken or damaged? Cancer is one of the outcomes of DNA damage, where this instruction manual gets modified. Fortunately, our cells have mechanisms to repair our DNA! Join us to enjoy a pint and learn more about DNA biology, cancer, and treatments!