Exploring genetic inheritance through public engagement: A science outreach initiative at the European Researchers’ Night

This practice-based study examines a genetics outreach activity delivered during European Researchers’ Night (Braga, Portugal) to explore how informal, real-time engagement can support public understanding of inheritance principles and challenge genetic misconceptions. Framed by the dialogue model of public engagement and constructivist learning, the activity combined hands-on self-assessment of familiar teaching traits (earlobe attachment, colour vision, lactose persistence, PTC tasting, and type-D brachydactyly) with real-time compilation and visualisation of trait frequencies to anchor conversations. Participants entered their observations through an anonymous questionnaire, and the resulting aggregate frequencies were displayed in real time as part of a brief exploratory population-characterisation exercise. This simulated population study functioned as a communication and teaching strategy, anchoring conversations about inheritance patterns, personal genetic traits, genetic predispositions, and environmental influences. The activity was evaluated descriptively through the questionnaire-based trait aggregation, participant feedback, and on-site observations of engagement and questioning. The event illustrates how interactive outreach can make abstract genetic concepts more tangible while opening space to discuss misconceptions, probabilistic inheritance, and the complexity of genotype–phenotype relationships.