In the year that the Oswaldo Cruz Institute (IOC/Fiocruz) celebrates 125 years of creation, a set of activities, ranging from events, seminars and inaugurations to cultural actions and sessions of the Study Center, has recalled historical milestones and achievements and debated current challenges and future perspectives. 

The 'Expresso Chagas XXI' train carriage and the exhibition '115 years of the Memórias do IOC' are among the cultural initiatives of the program. Expresso consists of a social technology that aims to raise awareness about Chagas disease through themed carriages that refer to the workplace of scientist Carlos Chagas during the discovery of the infection that bears his name. 

Covering the north, central-west and southeast regions, the project uses informative materials with an artistic and playful element to address the social and biological determinants of Chagas disease. 

“In addition to the traditional themed wagons, parallel activities were also part of the initiative. The scenic model 'Inside the blood' and the game 'Escape Room: the Enigma of Lassance' are some of these activities. According to participants, both are educational and impactful”, says the director of the IOC and project coordinator, Tania Araujo-Jorge. 

The exhibition '115 years of the Memórias do Magazine' IOC', available for viewing in room 201 of Castelo Mourisco, the place that has housed the periodical since its creation, brings together images and information from the publication founded by Oswaldo Cruz and which to this day remains among the most relevant scientific journals on infectious diseases, especially in the fields of tropical medicine and parasitology. 

“'Memórias' is among the few centennial scientific publications in Brazil. So, this is a moment to celebrate. The history of scientific journals in the country shows that few have remained active for so long. In total, more than 7 articles have been published in 115 years of existence,” says the journal's editor-in-chief, Adeilton Brandão. 

Visits and exhibitions 

Other initiatives also take place in the hall of cultural activities linked to the Jubilee. The project 'Biodiversity in schools', 'I ExpoBio Petrópolis' and the 'Guided visit to the Moorish Castle' are, for example, some of them. 

Integrated into the Program IOC + Schools, 'Biodiversity in Schools' promotes dialogue between science, education and the environment for students in public and private schools. 

Between May 22nd and 23rd, he was present in the city of Petrópolis. Organized by IOC in partnership with the Colégio de Aplicação da Universidade Católica de Petrópolis (UCP), it was held on the school's own premises and featured an exhibition of insects from the Entomological Collection.  

Among the highlights of the project were presentations on the ecological interactions of Chagas disease, activities with live insects and artistic paintings inspired by the aesthetics of insects. The initiative was organized by researcher Jane Costa, from the National and International Reference Laboratory for Taxonomy of Triatomines of IOC. 

On June 6th and 7th, the week in which World Environment Day was celebrated (5/06), the specialist held the 'I ExpoBio Petrópolis'. The event, which took place at Parque Crémerie, attracted more than 2500 people.

The Petrópolis Department of the Environment was a partner in the initiative, which sought to emphasize the commitment of different spheres of public administration to health, the environment and sustainability for the preservation of biodiversity, bringing environmental and scientific education closer to the population.

Guided tours of the Moorish Castle, which began in February this year, have brought together – to date – more than 70 professionals and students from the Institute interested in learning in person a little about the history of the iconic symbol of the Fiocroz. 

“Each visit has up to 20 people and lasts, on average, three hours. They start on the first floor of the Castle and end in room 201, where visitors participate in a brief Science and Art workshop, in which they record their impressions of the tour,” explains museologist Anunciata Sawada, who works at the Laboratory of Innovations in Therapies, Education and Bioproducts at the IOC and is responsible for guiding the visit. 

The museologist emphasizes that scheduling visits for the second half of the year remains open to the institutional community.

“For future visits, we are opening up space for interested parties not belonging to the community. IOC. Anyone who falls into this situation needs to send an email to visit.mourisco@ioc.fiocruz.br”, says the guide, adding that, during the tour, visitors can satisfy some of their curiosity about the Castle and get a real sense of the historical and scientific dimension of the place where they work. 

Anunciata is also one of those responsible for the traveling exhibitions 'Art and Botany, between pages and brushstrokes' and 'Paleoparasitology of Chagas disease'. 

The first is part of the extension program 'Short Circuit: Art, Science and Innovation', coordinated by the School of Fine Arts (EBA/UFRJ) in partnership with IOC. 

“The works on display are part of the 'Botanical Illustration' activity, in which EBA extension students produce pieces in Horto Fiocruz. They [works] will give rise to the 'Botanical Notebooks', which will be produced by the School of Fine Arts and the IOC”, explains the scientist. 

Since 2024, the exhibition has been at the EBA Vórtice Gallery, located at the UFRJ University City (Rio de Janeiro/RJ), and at the Arthur Neiva Pavilion and the Rare Works Section of the Manguinhos Library, both on the F campus.iocruz, in Manguinhos – Rio de Janeiro/RJ. 

Having passed through Portugal, Spain, Bolivia and several Brazilian states, the exhibition 'Paleoparasitology of Chagas disease' shares with visitors general knowledge about the evolution of American trypanosomiasis, known as Chagas disease. 

“This sample was originally assembled by the team at the Universidad Mayor de San Simon in Bolivia to support scientific dissemination in the area of ​​Chagas disease. At each transit point, which includes the IOC, it offers guided tours and educational activities on the topic”, comments Anunciata. 

The commemorative actions of the Silver Secular Jubilee of IOC end at the end of the year. Until then, these and other cultural initiatives will be offered to the Institute's community and society.