NutriEV brings extracellular vesicle research closer to the public at Researchers’ Night at Oulu 

Through an interactive workshop at the University of Oulu, visitors of all ages discovered the fascinating world of extracellular vesicles and their presence in nature, food and the human body. 

What do berries, milk, spruce trees and human sweat have in common? They can all contain extracellular vesicles (EVs) – tiny structures that play an important role in biological communication and are attracting growing scientific interest. 

On 25 September 2026, the NutriEV project took part in Researchers’ Night at the University of Oulu, Finland, bringing the fascinating world of extracellular vesicles closer to the public. 

As part of this Europe-wide celebration of science, visitors had the opportunity to meet researchers, explore scientific discoveries and experience research through interactive activities designed for people of all ages. 

Discovering vesicles everywhere 

One of the activities was the workshop “Vesicles Everywhere – In Nature, Food, and the Human Body”, which invited visitors to discover just how widespread extracellular vesicles are in our everyday surroundings. 

From the air and natural environment to spruce trees, berries, milk and even human sweat, the workshop explored the many places where these microscopic structures can be found and why scientists are interested in studying them. 

The hands-on programme made EV research tangible for the visitors. In the “GlitterEVs” activity, participants transferred glitter model vesicles into laboratory tubes and learned how centrifugation is used to separate and isolate EVs. Demonstrations using scientific equipment, sweat-collection patches and other research materials linked the activities to real methods used to study EVs from the human body and the environment. 

A Brio train activity illustrated how EVs transport cargo to different organs and parts of the body. This and the other activities in the workshop offered also the younger visitors playful ways to explore the theme. 

The workshop offered an opportunity to look beyond what we can see with the naked eye and discover how something so small can raise important questions about nature, nutrition and human health. 

“The event was a great success. Children were queuing for the workshop stations throughout the evening, and we also had many interesting discussions with parents and other adults visiting the University of Oulu campus. It was wonderful to see how the hands-on activities sparked curiosity and encouraged people of all ages to engage with extracellular vesicle research,” says Susanna Kaisto, NutriEV Project Manager. 

Connecting everyday discoveries with NutriEV research 

The workshop’s central theme closely reflects the scientific questions being explored by the NutriEV project, coordinated by the University of Oulu. 

NutriEV investigates extracellular vesicles derived from food, particularly raw and fermented plant-based foods, to better understand their potential role in nutrition and human health. 

These tiny structures can carry biological molecules, including proteins, lipids and genetic material. Researchers are investigating how food-derived EVs interact with the gut and its microbiome, and whether they could contribute to new approaches for addressing obesity and metabolic disorders. 

The project is also exploring their potential in non-invasive health monitoring technologies, including approaches based on detecting EVs and their molecular signatures in biological samples such as sweat. 

By connecting examples from nature, food and the human body, the workshop helped introduce visitors to the wider scientific field that underpins NutriEV’s research. 

Bringing science closer to everyone 

Beyond scientific discoveries, Researchers’ Night offered an opportunity to strengthen the connection between researchers and society. 

As part of NutriEV’s commitment to public engagement and accessible science communication, Open House activities provide opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to discover research, ask questions and engage directly with scientists. 

Through interactive experiences such as the Vesicles Everywhere workshop, complex scientific concepts become more approachable, encouraging curiosity and helping the public understand why emerging research matters. 

For NutriEV, these exchanges are an important part of making research more accessible and raising awareness of how extracellular vesicles could contribute to future advances in nutrition, metabolic health and non-invasive diagnostics. 

Researchers’ Night showed that even the smallest structures in nature can inspire big scientific questions – and that discovering them can start with simple curiosity.