The University of Luxembourg just published Volume 2 of LUX:plorations, an award-nominated science comic. Local scientists and artists have teamed up to create eight short stories about science and research in Luxembourg.

The new edition of “LUX:plorations – A Universe of Research” features comics about historical research, cybersecurity, cell regulation, antibiotics, greenwashing, geometry, soft skills and multilingualism. The two-paged stories add to the diversity of topics already published in Volume 1, showcasing science and research in Luxembourg.

The topics chosen

The doctoral candidates who participated in this outreach activity have chosen the topics of the single comics themselves while forming teams. The comic’s content mostly reflects the scientists’ own research topics or their field of research. “My research focuses on the development of a new therapeutic strategy against a bacterium causing severe lung infections”, says Bianca Brandus, a doctoral candidate from the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH). “I always loved to imagine the “fight” happening in our body between pathogens and the immune system. The comic was a great opportunity to visualize my thoughts.”

The doctoral researchers were also inspired by the feedback received following the publication of Volume 1, which was shared with them at the very beginning of the comic creation. Most of the participants of the online survey indicated that they were interested in the topics of history, social sciences, humanities, biology and medicine.

The LUX:plorations team also added the comic “What Is a PhD?” as well as the second part of the comic about Zamara and Yso, the two protagonists of the science comic series. Both were written by Jessica Burton, a comic expert and scientist at the Luxembourg Centre for Contemporary and Digital History (C²DH). Together with Veronika Mischitz, a science illustrator from Germany and lecturer of the comic workshop, she mentored the single groups and guided them through the comic creation process.

The LUX:plorations team

Just like the first edition of LUX:plorations, Volume 2 had been created fully remotely in collaboration between researchers and comic artists from Luxembourg. Most of them met each other for the first time in person during a small release event on Campus Belval, on 4 November 2021 (Covid Check Event). Together with the people that helped realize and distribute the comic, participants could exchange their experiences and get to know each other.

“Drawing is a quite solitary profession”, says Pascale Velleine, one of the Luxembourgish comic artists involved. “Working with brilliant students and fantastic university teachers was definitely enriching.” Valérie Minelli, Ingo Schandeler, Robert Soisson and Marion Dengler also worked together with doctoral researchers for this volume of LUX:plorations. Antoine Grimée drew an additional story and Snejana Granatkina designed the covers as well as the portraits.

The LUX:plorations team also consists of Bruno Teheux, Research Scientist at the Department of Mathematics (DMATH), Oliver Glassl, Project Manager at the Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine (FSTM), Serge Haan, Vice-Dean of the FSTM and PrincipaI Investigator of the Doctoral Education in Science Communication (DESCOM) project, Nicole Paschek, Project Manager of DESCOM, as well as 21 doctoral candidates, namely: Aida Horaniet Ibañez, Ali Kishk, Aliona Codrean, Andreï Kostyrka, Bianca Brandus, Chintankumar Jansari, Daniel Richter, Daniela Moraru, David Fisac Camara, Gilles Evrard Essuman, Itzel Vazquez Sandoval, Kevin Simões Loureiro, Kyung Hwa Shin, Michela Bernini, Rafaëla Schober, Rebecca Czolk, Rémy Lachelin, Suzana Cascao, Hanh Vo, Tobi Oladiran And Tristan Madani.

Where can I find the comics?

LUX:plorations is available for free and in five languages (English, French, German, Luxembourgish and this time also in Portuguese). It can be downloaded via this dedicated website. Hard copies of the comic can be found on the University’s campuses, for instance in the context of an exhibition of Volume 2 in the Maison du Savoir Auditoires (ground floor until 10 November, then 3^rd floor) or at the Luxembourg Learning Center on Campus Belval. The comics will also be present during the Science Festival 2021 in Luxembourg, where you can pick up your own copy of LUX:plorations and take some more for your friends. And don’t forget to give us feedback on the comic for a chance to win one of three surprise bags and an original artwork from Pascale Velleine!

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LUX:plorations is supported by the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR) and was made possible thanks to the Doctoral School in Science and Engineering (DSSE) of the University of Luxembourg. It was produced under the lead of DESCOM, which is supported by the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR). DESCOM aims to support interactions between academia and the public by providing different modes of training in science communication as well as organising and supporting outreach activities.