The World Science Festival (WSF) Queensland is an annual celebration of science where curious people get to experience science in fun and creative ways. The festival involves a combination of activities, including talks, live demonstrations and performances, art, music, and hands-on activities!

In March 2026, CIPPS participated in WSF Brisbane in partnership with Plant Success, who lead the activities on exploring ‘Plant Superheroes and Supervillains’ at the Microverse station. CIPPS Outreach Ambassadors Jack Cobon, Max Harding, and Sana Tanveer demonstrated what unique “superpowers” that plants possess that humans do not. For example, plants can turn sunlight into energy (photosynthesis). Plants cannot physically move away from danger; therefore, they can use their unique chemical defences against pathogens, pests and predators, such as producing alkaloids and peptides. These opportunities allowed our ambassadors to engage with the public and share stories about CIPPS’s plant research.

In August 2026, CIPPS also participated in WSF Chinchilla, which attracted over 3000 visitors over two days. The first day focussed on student and teacher engagement, while the second day opened the festival to the community. Outreach Ambassador Lachy Hall managed a dedicated station where attendees explored peptide and protein science through hands-on arts and crafts activities. This involved making cells using air-dry clay, making pipe cleaner peptides, and building peptide bracelets.

Through a series of hands-on activities, students and families discovered the fascinating world of cells and peptides. While sculpting with air-dry clay, they learned about different cell types and their roles in living organisms. They then explored peptide structure and function by creating wearable 3D pipe-cleaner peptides. Using alphabet charms as amino acids and some stretchy string, participants designed their own cyclic peptide bracelets based on their names, bringing science to life in a fun and memorable way.

Our station was praised by the event organizer, teachers, and parents for its hands-on exploration of learning in a digestible and inviting manner. We were excited to introduce interesting STEM topics that regional students do not normally get exposure to.