Who are AstroBioLusitanos?

AstroBioLusitanos is a group of early-career Portuguese scientists from the field of Astrobiology, including MSc, PhD, and Postdoctoral researchers. We are dedicated to space science communication in a fun, simple, and rigorous way.

Through our Instagram @astrobiopt, we create videos, interviews, and other publications to inspire future scientists and strengthen Portugal’s position in the global Astrobiology community.

Why create AstroBioLusitanos?

We believe that social media is the best tool to engage with the younger generation. Science should be accessible to everyone, at least at a basic level, and effective science communication can help people understand the world and the universe better. By building trust in science, especially in Astrobiology, which is a broad and interdisciplinary discipline, we can inspire the next generation to see that anyone with enough enthusiasm and passion can contribute to this field.

Our Instagram page @astrobiopt makes this possible by simplifying complex concepts and presenting them in an appealing and engaging way.

What are your main activities?

Currently, we are focused on engaging in regular communication through our Instagram page, as well as organizing workshops and lectures for high school and undergraduate students. We aim to help students (and the general public) understand the diverse scientific fields they can explore in their future careers, and we let them know that Astrobiology offers a wide array of possible choices in space-related research.

We plan to extend these activities to younger students and children to inspire their interest in space sciences. We also want to continue our science communication efforts by sharing fun, and informative videos, posts, and stories. One day we hope to organize our own Astrobiology events and conferences, both for general audiences and researchers.

What is the best feedback you have had from the public?

We are really happy with the feedback we’ve received on our Instagram page. Our followers, friends, and family have been very supportive, and our posts are getting more engagement than we ever expected. Each month, we gain more followers, which motivates us to continue and work hard on this project.

The feedback from the talks and workshops we’ve organized at Portuguese schools has been very positive. The students appreciate how we explain the complexity of space sciences in an engaging and easy-to-understand way, and the feedback from teachers has been especially encouraging. Teachers often praise our communication skills and share our belief that our project is an excellent way to inspire the next generation.

How do you see AstroBioLusitanos in the future?

Our ambition is to be more well-known, and to be conducting workshops and lectures regularly, as well as having expanded our team. This growth will help us achieve our main goal: to have a strong community of Portuguese astrobiologists and to establish an official student association for Portuguese students working on astrobiology; as well as having organized several larger-scale events.

What kind of support would be needed for AstroBioLusitanos to go beyond?

To expand our Instagram page’s reach and introducing the field of Astrobiology to the Portuguese community (particularly students) it is essential to continue performing workshops and lectures across the country, and this requires raising awareness among teachers and institutions about our existence and availability for such events. Further support from university student associations, research groups, and larger agencies like the Portuguese Space Agency will be crucial for our growth. This support can provide us with the necessary tools to further promote this field in Portugal and to start incorporating it into university courses.

Where can people find you and how can they contact you?

You can reach out to us through our Instagram page @astrobiopt to ask any questions related to Astrobiology, provide feedback, express interest in joining our team, or for other relevant topics.

For more formal messages, such as workshops, lectures, or collaborations, you can contact us via email at astrobiolusitanos@gmail.com. We are always ready to respond to all messages and we are happy to receive them!