In December, Emilia had a chance to visit the labs of Mackgraphe, a science institute of Mackenzie Presbyterian University, one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Brazil, founded in 1870. Mackgraphe opened in 2012 and is full of new labs specializing in graphene and other two-dimensional materials.
During the lab tour, Emilia discussed the ongoing research with some students and principal investigators. She also had a chance to catch up with her friends from Unicamp, Cecilia de Carvalho Castro e Silva and Camila Marchetti Maroneze, both leading research groups at the Mackgraphe. Institute is focused on collaboration with industry; therefore, each group has an impressive portfolio of research topics, ranging from using 2D materials in areas diverse as car breaks or medical implants. This, together with access to state-of-the-art equipment, ensures the constant development of the staff.
Cecilia similar to Emilia uses lasers for electrode fabrication. They exchanged tips and tricks about fabrication methods and discussed the possibility of applying Cecilia’s graphene fibers (DOI: 10.1039/D0NR08380A (Communication) Nanoscale, 2021, 13, 6752-6758) in Emilia’s and Wojtek’s microelectrodes. Let’s see if the collaboration kicks off.
At 14:30, Emilia gave a talk about the use of sensor arrays in cell cultures. Her scientific Portuguese was a bit rusty, but the public did not seem to mind. The presentation was well received, with lots of questions.
At the end of the day, Emilia exchanged ideas with the director Prof. Benedito G. Aguiar Neto. They talked about integrating researchers and creating an environment where interdisciplinary projects that use the competencies of different group leaders can thrive. Mackgraphe’s equipment is shared. Every researcher can access all the equipment after training or through a qualified technician, which helps optimize resource use. Emilia presented the IPC PAS initiative of “Next door research” seminars, and Prof. Aguiar Neto talked about brainstorming events organized for groups of 3-4 PI’s at Mackgraphe.
It was great to revisit São Paulo and get to know Mackenzie. Thank You, Ceci for this fantastic opportunity.