Eleven BIYSC students shape a sustainable future learning how ICIQ research impacts society

ICIQ have received this month students from all over the world passionate about chemistry

Eleven young researchers have come to ICIQ for two weeks to solve a Science Challenge. These youngsters from all over the world are members of the BIYSC (Barcelona International Youth Science Challenge) and they have been selected to solve the challenge proposed by ICIQ, a project called “Innovation in Photochemistry and Drug Synthesis: Shaping a Sustainable Future“. ICIQ participates in the BIYSC programme since 2016 and its project is one of the most popular from the 17 offered in this edition.

The project offered by ICIQ shows the crucial role that chemistry plays, together with other fields of science and technology, in the design and preparation of new appealing materials with relevant applications in the field of sustainable energy, industry and medicine.

The ICIQ project intended to show how research in chemistry is performed and how it impacts society by facing the selected young scientists (16 to 18 years old) with the research done at ICIQ. The BIYSC students were introduced to the concept of synthetic chemistry, and they were able to synthesize, purify and characterize their own medicines in the laboratory. The ICIQ challenge also entered the fields of photo- and electrochemistry in the context of hydrogen production. The students investigated different metals to catalyse the electrolysis of water and prepared their own solar cells, testing their efficiency under a Sun emulator.

BIYSC was the catalyst that I needed to get me completely immersed in the chemical field. This project exposed us to the various research areas at ICIQ. I would love to thank Dr. Joan Guillem Mayans for accompanying us in this programme as well as all fellow researchers. It was an awesome experience to meet all of the participants!

Elizabeth Moreno Kristofits, participant of the BIYSC. Elizabeth have shown her experience within the programme throw her Instagram account @sciencegirldiaries.

The BIYSC is a programme organized by the Fundació Catalunya la Pedrera and coordinated at ICIQ by Dr. Laura Hernández and Dr. Joan Guillem Mayans, from the Communications & Outreach Unit. The project was able to count on the collaboration of Dr. Luis Duarte, Dr. Felipe Garcés and Santi Gené, as associated researchers, together with Joan Marc Bondia, Beatriu Domingo, Luisa Xiomara and Dr. Xiaojiao Yuan.

Taking part in the BIYSC has been an invaluable experience. As an MSCA fellow, it provides me the opportunity to share my research, inspire the next generation of scientists, and enhance my leadership skills. Engaging in scientific discussions with students from diverse backgrounds gave me the chance to follow how they process new information, what greatly enriched my journey as a researcher and mentor.

Dr. Luis Duarte, MSCA fellow Postdoctoral Researcher at Dr. Elisabet Romero’s group