CERIC opened its partner laboratories to students participating in PaGES

March 7, 2016

7th-15th March 2016 – Trieste – Italy

Students involved in the PaGES project had the chance of visiting an international research infrastructure such as Elettra Sincrotrone in Trieste. On their arrival at the CERIC headquarters, they were shown the beamlines of Elettra and those belonging to other European institutions, partners in CERIC-ERIC.

Scientists from Italy, Germany and Austria showed some of the applications that research on advanced materials can have. In particular, the participants directly experienced the life of a scientist, by learning how to create composite hybrid materials and to grow carbon nanotubes in laboratories in which such experiments are part of daily routine.
The students saw for the first time what an atomic force microscope – AFM is and how it works. After preparation of the samples, they analyzed them with this precise tool, discovering a wide range of information that can be retrieved from the surface of the analyzed material.

The scientists answered the many questions of the students and explained what are the main steps involved in taking up a scientific career and the various possibilities that a researcher has after the end of his/her studies, spanning pure scientific research, applied research, project management, science administration, technology transfer and science communication.