National Science Day 2023
Chemistry in conversation
SMTL members engaging school students through a close-up demonstration and discussion.
SMTL beyond the laboratory
Social Activities
Science becomes more meaningful when it is shared. SMTL’s outreach activities create opportunities to communicate chemistry through direct demonstration, conversation and public engagement.
Scientific outreach and school engagement · 2023Taking chemistry into the community
On 28 February 2023, members of the Small Molecule Therapeutics Laboratory participated in a National Science Day presentation. Through hands-on demonstrations and face-to-face discussion, visitors were invited to observe, question and engage with experimental science in an accessible setting.
28 February 2023
Moments from the presentation
A visual record of demonstration, discussion and participation during the National Science Day programme.
National Science Day 2023
Learning by observing
A hands-on presentation designed to make scientific ideas visible, approachable and memorable.
National Science Day 2023
Connecting science with society
Visitors interact directly with the presenters, turning the exhibition into a two-way exchange.
National Science Day 2023
Questions at the bench
The demonstration format encouraged curiosity, discussion and immediate exploration of the observations.
National Science Day 2023
An open laboratory experience
The event brought experimental chemistry into a public setting beyond the conventional classroom.
National Science Day 2023
The National Science Day team
A shared outreach effort celebrating scientific curiosity, communication and participation.
22 July 2023 · IISER Kolkata
Hands-on science workshop for Satish Chandra Memorial School
As part of SMTL’s scientific social responsibility initiative, students from Satish Chandra Memorial School were introduced to gel electrophoresis and fluorescence microscopy through an interactive lecture and laboratory demonstrations. The programme was designed to move beyond textbook descriptions and allow students to see how biological samples are separated, visualized and interpreted in a working research laboratory.
Scientific social responsibility · 22 July 2023
Learning together
Students and the workshop team after a day of discussion, demonstration and hands-on scientific engagement.
Scientific social responsibility · 22 July 2023
Understanding gel electrophoresis
A close laboratory demonstration introduced the components and practical logic of gel preparation and electrophoretic separation.
Scientific social responsibility · 22 July 2023
Seeing cells through fluorescence microscopy
Students observed how fluorescence imaging can reveal cellular structures and convert molecular signals into interpretable images.
Scientific social responsibility · 22 July 2023
From principle to practice
The workshop began with an accessible introduction to the scientific principles behind gel electrophoresis and microscopy.
Scientific social responsibility · 22 July 2023
From gel separation to visualization
The laboratory session connected electrophoretic separation with imaging and documentation of experimental results.
16 May 2023 · Rishi Bankim Chandra College for Women, Naihati
Scientific outreach at Rishi Bankim Chandra College for Women
Faculty members and colleagues from the Department of Chemical Sciences, IISER Kolkata participated in a scientific outreach programme at Rishi Bankim Chandra College for Women, Naihati. The programme brought together faculty and students for lectures, discussion and direct academic interaction, with the aim of sharing scientific ideas and encouraging greater engagement with contemporary chemistry and interdisciplinary science.
Scientific outreach · 16 May 2023
Inauguration of the outreach programme
Faculty members and participants opening the programme with the ceremonial lamp lighting.
Scientific outreach · 16 May 2023
Academic exchange and programme launch
Faculty members from IISER Kolkata and the host college during the formal opening of the programme.
Scientific outreach · 16 May 2023
Engaging with students
An interactive session with students, focused on scientific discussion and exchange beyond the classroom.
Scientific outreach · 16 May 2023
Participants and faculty
Students, faculty members and organisers together at the conclusion of the outreach programme.
June 2022 · SCMS, Chakdah
Summer camp outreach at SCMS, Chakdah
As part of a summer camp programme at SCMS, Chakdah, SMTL conducted an outreach session built around live chemistry demonstrations and short concept-based talks. The event was designed to connect classroom science with direct observation, showing students how chemical reactivity, redox behaviour, energy conversion and biomedical applications can be understood through engaging experiments and discussion.
Summer camp outreach · June 2022
Live demonstration session
A hands-on chemistry demonstration at the summer camp, using simple experimental setups to turn core concepts into visible outcomes.
Summer camp outreach · June 2022
Chemical energy to electrical energy
An introductory discussion on magnesium-based electrochemistry and the basic science behind chemical energy conversion.
Summer camp outreach · June 2022
Chem fun at summer camp
An interactive session that welcomed students to the programme and framed chemistry as something exploratory, accessible and enjoyable.
Summer camp outreach · June 2022
Demonstration in progress
Experimental work carried out in front of students to encourage questioning, observation and scientific reasoning.
Summer camp outreach · June 2022
The bleeding heart experiment
A visually engaging reaction demonstration used to explain how redox chemistry and coordination processes produce striking colour changes.
Summer camp outreach · June 2022
Fluorescein in diagnostic healthcare
A presentation connecting chemistry to real-world biomedical applications through fluorescein angiography and ocular diagnostics.
Summer camp outreach · June 2022
Gases and everyday chemical reactions
A concept-focused discussion of oxygen and carbon dioxide generation, along with classic demonstration chemistry.
February 2022 · SCMS
Encouraging young minds at the SCMS Science Fair
Invited to the SCMS Science Fair in February 2022, Prof. Arindam Mukherjee interacted with students as they presented their projects and demonstrations. The visit offered an opportunity to encourage curiosity, confidence and independent thinking, while emphasizing that science grows through asking good questions, testing ideas and communicating them with conviction.
Scientific outreach · February 2022
Listening, questioning and encouraging
Engaging directly with student presenters and their exhibits—recognising their effort, discussing the ideas behind their projects and encouraging them to pursue science with curiosity and confidence.
Science communicated with purpose
Public engagement is not separate from research culture—it strengthens it. Activities such as these help develop clearer scientific communication while encouraging students and visitors to approach chemistry with curiosity and confidence.