October 9, 2025

Lucas Morales: When science meets creativity

In May 2025, Lucas Morales — a former postdoc and now a research associate in computational biology with Helge Grosshans — represented the FMI in Brno at the EU-LIFE Science Vision Talk Contest, a science communication competition inspired by the Eurovision Song Contest. Although his live performance didn’t go quite as planned, Lucas recorded a second version back at the FMI. In this Q&A, he shares his experience preparing for and performing at the contest, along with reflections on his career path, research interests, and passion for science communication.

Tell us about your career path.
As a teenager, I wanted to be a medical doctor, but in my last year of high school I discovered biochemistry and molecular biology and decided to study biotechnology instead. I’ve always liked mathematics, and when I came across systems biology in my undergraduate studies, I realized you could use math to study development — predicting patterns and understanding how cells differentiate — which really fascinated me. That led me to a Master’s in biophysics and then a PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of Dundee, where I combined modeling with experiments to study how somites, the precursors of ribs and vertebrae, form under the control of a molecular clock. While finishing my thesis, I saw a talk by Helge [Grosshans] on oscillations in C. elegans, and I knew I wanted to build mathematical models to understand those dynamics.

What motivated you to participate in the EU-LIFE Science Vision Talk Contest?
I saw the contest as a chance to present my research in a different way. Most science communication events feel a bit like TED talks, but this one encouraged creativity. I thought it would be fun to make a song about C. elegans development — after all, sound is oscillations, and development in the worm is also regulated by oscillations.

Could you tell us what you sang about?
My song was about C. elegans’s four larval stages. I structured it in four parts to match those stages: first explaining how development works, then the molecular mechanisms behind it, then what happens when those mechanisms break, and finally the outcome for the worm when things go wrong.

You composed the music of your song. How did you do it?
I love music and music theory, so I wanted to combine those skills to make something personal. I kept the song simple — a melody that evolves, gradually increasing tension by shifting from a major to a minor scale, and ending in dissonance, with heavy distortion. Everything is in the key of C as a nod to C. elegans. I composed on the piano, experimented with melodies, and used a computer program to refine and add backing tracks.

What was it like to compete, and what did you take away from the experience?
Being on stage was a mix of excitement and stress. I wanted to add a performance element to the song, so I incorporated taking off colored capes to represent molting in C. elegans. In hindsight, I could have simplified things — maybe just lip-synced to make sure it all worked smoothly — but that might have taken away some of the value. What I learned is that people really appreciate creativity and effort, even if everything doesn’t go as planned.

What advice would you give to scientists wanting to share their research creatively?
Have fun and experiment with something new. Even if it doesn’t work out, it’s worth trying — you’ll learn and improve along the way. At least you can say you tried, and you won’t regret it.

Watch the retake of Lucas's performance, recorded at the FMI: