b'Communications and OutreachRAISING AWARENESS OF BIOFILMS IN THE UK AND BEYONDPublic Engagement (dialoguing with the public aboutIn October 2022, NBIC participated at New Scientist our research) and Outreach (raising science aspirationsLive, one of the biggest public science events in the UK. of the younger generation) in relation to biofilms areThis was a great opportunity for NBIC researchers and extremely important activities to maximise the impactPhD students to develop a public engagement activity of NBIC, and for society to gain an understanding ofrelated to their research, and gain experience from what biofilms are and how they relate to daily life. Inengaging with public audiences.particular, we want to reach the public with an active interest in biofilms related topics, such as home,In July 2023, HRH The Princess Royal, opened a new hygiene and healthcare. We also strive to inspire thebuilding at the University of Edinburgh, the Nucleus, in younger generation. NBIC has a Public Engagementwhich an art and physics exhibition showcasing NBICs and Outreach Officer in place to support members ofresearch on biofilms was displayed especially for the the NBIC network in their engagement and outreachoccasion. These artworks were created by students activities and we regularly develop appropriatefrom the Edinburgh College of Art who discovered resources for wider use to lead and inspire projects.the research undertaken by NBICs co-director Cait MacPhee and her group, especially around new We have conducted a wide range of activities across thecoatings to prevent biofilms formation on boat hulls UK, which have included biofilm dances, biofilms in aand the application of biofilms on ice cream properties. train station, biofilm workshops at IKEA, the UniversityThe exhibition featured biofilms-inspired embroideries of Southampton Science and Engineering Festivalsmade by illustration student and winner of NBICs and the Secret Lives of Biofilms stand at both Science2022 #BiofilmCreate art competition, Ruby Tait. The in the Park, the Festival of Science and Curiosity inexhibition will remain on display and open to the public Nottingham and the Royal Society Summer Exhibitionfor the foreseeable future.in 2019 focusing on antibiofilm coatings (under the Prevent theme).Moving forwards we will use our #BiofilmAware campaign together with new and existing resources to support a greater number of NBIC partners to deliver public engagement activities to a wider audience, covering much of the UK and with a focus on rural and non-metropolitan regions. We will also be working on a project to develop a repository of downloadable resources to improve accessibility and user experience for researchers and the public. NBIC at New Scientist Live43'