Every stage in a project must come to a closing. The same way all of our favorite TV shows have Season Finales, our Human Practices project came to a "season finale " with an event that congregated several personalities at the local and national level to discuss the issues we addressed throughout this year.

This event was a Symposium on Science Communication called "Perspectives on Science Perception and Communication", held at the Auditorium of the Center for Genomic Sciences on October 23rd, 2012. This symposium consisted of the following activities:

• 1. Inauguration by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology of the State of Morelos, Mexico, Brenda Valderrama.
• 2. Presentation of the Bacillus Booleanus project by our Team Members
• 3. A brief recess to allow the atendees of the Symposium to see the BioSintetizARTE exposition
• 4. A Panel about Science Communication and Perception with noted science communicators, scientists and representatives of the society.

Foreword by Brenda Valderrama

Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology of the State of Morelos, Brenda Valderrama

The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology of the State of Morelos, Mexico, Brenda Valderrama, attended our event and commented on the actions taken by our State's government on the area of Science and Technology. She mentioned the need to close the links between different players in the field of Science and Technology, ranging from those scientist doing basic science, translational research and technological innovation. But she also stressed the necessity to transfer basic knowledge to the general public, and mentioned that a third of the Development Plan of her Ministry is devoted to the diffusion, communication and appropriation of scientific knowledge by society.

Among the plans the Innovation, Science and Technology Ministry has to promote the field of Science Communication, the State will promote the existing instruments already in place as the Museum of Sciences of Morelos and the great number of scientists in the State towards the creation of the Morelos's Center for Science Communication, a top notch center devoted to the task of outreach.

After she delivered her foreword, minister Valderrama inaugurated formally the symposium.

Presentation of the Project

We presented our project to the attendees of the symposium, giving special emphasis to our Human Practices project. Here are some pics:

Jonathan, explaining the AND part of our project

Laura, explaining the work done in Bacillus subtilis

Diana, presenting our Outreach videos

Abiel, presenting about perceptions of scientists

BioSintetizARTE exposition

We also mounted the BioSintetizARTE exposition so the attendees of the symposium could appreciate the results of the call we made. Here are some pics of some of the attendees enjoying some art:

Round Table

The main activity scheduled in our symposium was a Panel where noted personalities shared with us their points of view on the activities we preformed for our Human Practices project.

Our guests to the Panel were:

• Julia Tagüeña Parga, Member of the Mexican Society of Science and Technic Outreach and former director of the Science Museum Universum, and researcher at the Center for Energy Research.
• Alejandra Zayas del Moral, president of the non-profit organization Más Ciencia por México
• Martín Bonfil Olivera, one of the most known science communicators in Mexico, who is also member of the Mexican Society of Science and Technic Outreach and te General Direction of Science Communication of our University
• David Romero Camarena, director of the Center for Genomic Sciences.
• The Panel was moderated by José Antonio Alonso Pavón, our Human Practices Advisor.

The Panel discussed three main issues in Science Communication and Science Perception. The most relevant and interesting ideas are shared below.