Material Science Special Seminar I

Graduate School of Science, Ms. Ujuagu Akunna Francess

On March 6th, I and four other GPMS students arrived in Frankfurt, Germany, to meet with researchers at the Technische Universitat Darmstadt about a potential research collaboration. On March 7th, we visited the university, and we were warmly received by our host, Professor Alff Lambert, who introduced us to other researchers with similar research interests. We, t he GPMS students present ed our ongoing projects, and the TU Darmstadt researchers also present ed their ongoing research, and we finished the day by selecting the laboratories and groups we will visit the next day for further discussion. On March 8th, we visited the groups with similar interests. I visited Professor Beatrix Suess’s lab, whose research is focused on RNAs, their function, and applications. I talked about my research on the chemistry of RNA chemical probes and how we can coll aborate on future projects. Our studies are not closely related, but we investigated potential ways to connect them. It was a wonderful meeting, and I learned a lot about their research and global application. On March 9th, we visited historic places like the UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Grube Messel, and the Wedding Tower for sightseeing. Finally, we had dinner at Darmstadt's iconic brewery, "Grohe" where we ate traditional German food and had a taste of the beer. We had a wonderful time in Germany because we got to see and experience the city of Darmstadt. The other four GPMS students left the following day, while I left on March 12th for Edinburgh, Scotland.

On March 12 th, I arrived in Edinburgh, UK On March 13th, I visited Professor Marc Vendrell's lab at the University of Edinburgh, I took part in his laboratory’s group meeting, where the students give presentations on their work so far. I also gave a presentation about my ongoing research, and we discussed potential collaboration because our research was closely related. We also talked about several joint research opportunities we would like to explore in the future. I was given a tour of the facility and observed two experiments on fluorescent dye synthesis and compound purification.On March 16th and 17th, I visited historical places such as the Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Royal Mile, and other beautiful sites. I had a wonderful time in the city of Edinburgh. On March 18th, I left Edinburgh for Rome, Italy.

On March 18th, I arrived in Rome, Italy, for the European Congress on Chemistry and Applied Sciences. On March 19th, I took a tour of the city, visiting the iconic St. Peter's Basilica as well as other beautiful sites in Vatican City. The first day of the conference began on March 20th, with up to 45 people in attendance onsite and up to 20 online. Keynote speeches were given by renowned professors from various universities around the world, and several other people gave oral presentations as well. On March 21st, more oral presentations were given, and I presented my poster alongside 16 other people who gave poster presentations. I was awarded the best poster award along with one other person.

It was an excellent scientific outing where I learned from experts in various fields and networked with many people. My professor was pleased with the research collaboration discussion initiated with the professors and my progress thus far, and he is hopeful for the future. I am extremely grateful to GPMS for providing me with the great opportunity to visit these institutions and attend the conference. This has been an eye-opening experience for me, and I look forward to expanding my research so that I have the potential to become reputable researcher in the future.

Photo 1: Receiving the best poster award

Photo 2: Poster presentation at European Congress on Chemistry and Applied Sciences

Photo 3: Grube Messel, Darmstadt

Photo 4: St Peter's Basilica, Rome