3 surprising projects in biochemistry, architecture, and history

A scientific show cooking, a digital reconstruction, and a historical itinerary have captivated the jury of the first scientific outreach grants in Catalan from the URV.

The Rovira i Virgili University resolved this Thursday the 1st call that awards creative and accessible initiatives aimed at the general public, with a strong component of local and linguistic impact.

Well tied science: the chemistry of sauces hidden in cooking

The winning project in emerging talent

Aitor Balmaseda Rubina, researcher from the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, has chosen culinary sauces to connect biochemistry with the general public. His show cooking outreach, with demonstrations of emulsions and gelifications, uses examples such as allioli to explain chemistry, physics, and biology in the kitchen.

The activity, which receives a grant of 1,000 euros, is itinerant and intends to travel to several points in the territory throughout the year, making food science accessible beyond laboratories.

A runner-up with the flavor of words and history

Researcher Patricia Terrado Ortuño, from the Department of History and Art History, has received a runner-up prize of 800 euros for The secret formula of words. It is a participatory itinerary that traces the history of writing, from Ancient Egypt to today, combining writing practices with explanations of historical materials and processes.

The activity is especially designed for families and seeks to make tangible a cultural heritage often invisible.

Recovering Gaudí’s lost loudspeaker at the Cathedral of Mallorca

Special category Gaudí Year 2026

Within the framework of the Gaudí Year, the effort to recover lost elements of the Catalan architect’s architecture is rewarded. The winning proposal explains how the disappeared loudspeaker of the Cathedral of Mallorca is digitally reconstructed, based on historical photographs and 3D techniques.

The initiative has a grant of 1,000 euros and will be disseminated through outreach talks that bring architecture and technology closer to the general public.

The jury and the categories of the call

The call has had three categories: emerging talent, established talent, and a special one dedicated to the Gaudí Year. The latter was the only one with a winner in the senior faculty category, since the established talent category was left vacant.

The objective is to encourage the participation of URV research staff in scientific outreach activities in Catalan, with innovative and socially impactful proposals.

Article source: Rovira i Virgili University