"Science is Open"…But Is It Visible?

Laboratories tend to occupy a strange place in the public imagination. For many, they seem to exist somewhere between the classroom and the small screen, sterile spaces where people in white coats perform mysterious procedures that become tomorrow’s medical breakthroughs. Collectively, we benefit from what happens within these walls without truly knowing what actually happens within.

That’s what made Science is Open - Lab Visits from a Public Perspective such an important event. Held at Science Gallery London (R.I.P), it's aim wasn’t to confound us with scientific jargon. Instead, it addressed a much simpler question: "What happens when you invite the public into a space they’ve never been expected to enter?"

Walking down into the basement of the event space, I was checked in with a smile, an information pack and a small collection of goodies. It felt less like arriving at a formal conference and more like being welcomed into a carefully planned gathering.

The atmosphere was buzzing with conversation. Groups clustered around cups of tea, swapping stories and observations before the talks had even begun. One wall had been transformed into a gallery of photographs captured by public contributors during their visits to the five participating research laboratories: exploring cancer, lung disease, cardiovascular health, maternal health and arthritis. Opposite, the images were projected larger than life, accompanied by refreshing anecdotes and thought-provoking reflections.

What struck me wasn’t the science.

It was the people.

Exploratory photographs of technical equipment sat beside unexpected observations. There was something revitalising about seeing the labs through a non-technical lens. Instead of asking, “How does this machine work?”, many of the observations seemed to ask, “How does this place make me feel?”

Their perspectives were refreshing.

The first panel brought together patients and members of the public who had taken part in the lab visits. The same themes resurfaced when listening to them speak: gratitude, curiosity, confidence and collaboration. They shared their appreciation towards the participating researchers for taking the time to explain complex processes by using accessible language rather than assuming prior knowledge and assuming further by using jargon. Most importantly, they expressed feeling genuinely welcomed.

Transformative.

Research can often feel like something happening behind closed doors, within closed spaces. Simply opening those doors, both literally and figuratively, shifts something. The laboratories became less intimidating, and the research itself became more relatable.

A comment that stayed with me throughout the afternoon: "anything that raises the profile of research, demystifies it, and increases understanding is worthwhile." 

The second session explored what researchers themselves had learnt from inviting public contributors into their workspaces. Rather than treating the project as a one-way exercise - scientists explaining, patients listening - it was clear that everyone had learnt something.

One particularly memorable contribution came from Korede, a clinical research nurse for the Cardiovascular Biobank, who reflected on how her heritage had unexpectedly helped build trust with patients from similar backgrounds. That shared cultural understanding created an immediate sense of familiarity and comfort, easing conversation and helping participation feel more natural.

It was a reminder that diversity isn’t simply about representation for its own sake. It can be the difference between someone feeling uncertain and mistrusting enough to opt-out of participation and comfortable and reassured enough to ask questions and pique interest.

After all, trust rarely begins with data. It begins with people.

By the end of the afternoon, a clear message had emerged: there is both a need and an appetite for more opportunities like these. The more transparent research becomes, the easier it is for people to understand where their samples go, how discoveries are made and why participation matters.

Public and Patient Involvement and Engagement often is grounded by the ethos of making research with people rather than for people. "Science is Open" felt like a tangible example of that philosophy in action. Not because every attendee left understanding every laboratory process, but because they left understanding that research isn’t happening somewhere “over there”.

It’s happening alongside us.

Therein lies the quiet success of the ongoing opening of our Biobank doors. Not that with this, everyone will become a scientist overnight, but that with this, the science itself becomes a little less mysterious, a little more human, and a lot easier to trust.

Ultimately, openness isn’t just about letting people in. 

It’s about ensuring they feel they belong, once they arrive.