Medicines Discovery Catapult (MDC) helped ignite the curiosity of more than 600 young people during an event at Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum last week, marking an exciting start to British Science Week 2026 (6-15 March).

MDC colleagues welcomed 632 visitors from 15 schools, inviting pupils to become “Medicine Makers” for the day. Through a series of interactive activities, young people gained insight, exploring how real scientists discover, design and test the medicines of the future. 

Pupils participated in hands-on activities to aid understanding of three core components of drug discovery: 

• Understanding targets: Pupils explored how medicines are designed to act on specific proteins within the body. By pairing different treatments with their correct biological targets, they learned how scientists identify the precise mechanisms that medicines aim to influence. 

• Exploring molecular design: In this activity, simple models were built to investigate how a molecule’s shape and structure determine how effectively a medicine works.  

• Safety: Finally, pupils discovered how scientists test whether a medicine reaches the intended organ, and how they ensure it avoids those where unintended effects might occur.
  

Pupils also received a digital take-home guide created by MDC to extend learning beyond the museum. The guide includes fun facts, follow-up activities, and career insights across areas such as immunology, data science, spatial biology, and science communication.

Dr Valeria Sandoval Torres, an MDC Scientist who helped to support the event, said:

“It was such a rewarding experience. We spoke to pupils about how drug discovery works and why every step of the process matters for patients, in a way that made sense to them! I loved showing pupils that STEM careers come in all shapes and sizes. Lab scientists, bioinformatics, medical writing, science communication; they’re all part of the picture. If anything, I hope it helped some of them to understand that the skills they already have, like curiosity, perseverance, communication and creativity, are exactly what this field needs.”

MDC Associate Scientist, Caitlin Shaw, who was also on hand at the event, said: 

“It was great to interact with pupils taking such an active part in the day. They received a tailored overview of the stages of drug discovery, which felt like a real win. One of the highlights for me was seeing so many girls interested in science. It felt meaningful to be there representing women in STEM and hopefully inspiring some of the pupils to imagine themselves in these careers.”

Rebecca Gazey-McGaughey, Schools & Skills Manager at the Science and Industry Museum, commented:

”We’d like to say a massive thank you for taking part in Futures Day, the Science and Industry Museum’s flagship careers event! We really appreciate you bringing a hands-on activity, which gave students an opportunity to explore the roles, skills required and routes into careers with your organisation. It was great to see so many meaningful encounters between organisations and young people.”

Dr Martin Main, Chief Scientific Officer at Medicines Discovery Catapult, said:

“British Science Week is not only about celebrating our impactful science in our great nation but is also about inspiring the next generation of innovators, to create a fantastic talent pipeline of drug discovery experts for the future. Through MDC’s Medicine Makers activities, pupils received a taste of how medicines are discovered and were able to imagine a future where they could be the ones discovering tomorrow’s treatments for patients.”

Medicines Discovery Catapult is a Life Sciences service at the frontier of drug discovery, working with entrepreneurial scientists to make every move count. Its approach to drug discovery drives game-changing breakthroughs and improves patients’ lives.​  

The organisation is committed to widening participation in STEM, engaging young people across the UK, and fostering the next generation of Medicine Makers.