Call: Center for the Promotion of Science

Period: 2025-2026.

Project leader: Dr. Branka Šošić-Jurjević, Department of Cytology IBISS

Participants:
Dr. Svetlana Trifunović, Department of Cytology IBISS
Dr. Branko Filipović, Department of Cytology IBISS

Abstract

Hormones are fundamental regulators of growth, metabolism, reproduction, and health. Although hormones are evolutionarily conserved molecules, their mechanisms of action have become increasingly complex, facilitating key evolutionary transitions, including adaptation and survival to terrestrial environments. At the same time, the remarkable sensitivity of endocrine systems to environmental signals has made them particularly vulnerable to endocrine-disrupting chemicals originating from plastics, cosmetics, and other products of modern human activity.

The project is implemented through a series of interactive workshops for primary school students from smaller towns and rural communities across Serbia. Led by experienced scientists in cell biology and endocrinology, with a long-standing tradition of science communication and outreach, the workshops introduce students to the fundamentals of evolutionary endocrinology and contemporary biomedical concepts related to endocrine disruptors. Through engaging, hands-on activities, participants learn how endocrine disruptors interfere with hormonal signaling, how to recognize them in everyday products, and how informed choices can help protect human health and the environment.

As a lasting outcome of the project, a digital publication titled The Cell Writes from the Heart will be produced, extending the workshops' educational impact beyond the classroom.