Silvia Marchesan, of Friuli, Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Trieste, is a certificate for the 2022 edition of “Sì geniale”, a competition organized by the Karibet Foundation, which brings together schools of all types and levels in a district involved in Pistoia and will culminate in May 2-8 with Opening of the “Garden of Inventions” in the Convent of San Domenico, where projects created by students will be exhibited. In 2018, Marchesan was named by the prestigious Nature magazine among the world’s 11 best emerging scientists, ranked sixth out of more than 500 researchers.
How do you feel when you know that you are among the top ten in the world?
“I wasn’t expecting it. I felt so emotional.”
Are you motivated by your passion for science?
“Curiosity without a doubt. I grew up in Codroipo, in the Friuli countryside, and spent a lot of time outside and found interesting insects, or what they did, or just flowers, that open and close in response to sunlight. So spring was a curiosity to understand the world around me. And yet That I had teachers so adept at imparting to me a passion for study and science as a means of understanding the world.”
As a testament to your “Sì geniale” you have the task of bringing students closer to science: Do you feel this is a responsibility?
“Yes, I feel more and more responsible, especially since I became a mother and I hope to succeed in this task. Science opens many opportunities, not only to research in itself, but also to help others, to learn new things. So I can’t wait to get to know the Pistoia youth and the region, their projects, their ideas and trying to help them discover their passion.”
How will you compare with them?
“First of all, I will try to understand what he likes. Science is a word that really hides the universe and it has many aspects, from physics to mathematics, from chemistry to biology, and therefore I think there is room for many boys and many girls, who today may still not know That, but they may find out in the near future that they love science as much as I do.”
Sì geniale is a special project aimed at students of all ages. What are the characteristics of this edition?
“They told me we would be in a beautiful monastery, so in a beautiful context from a natural point of view, because we would be outdoors and enjoy its gardens, but it would also be in a historical and scientific context as well, because there would be all the project schools. I think the beautiful place is also important for developing new ideas. . ” Bath amenities include hair dryer and complimentary toiletries?
“We work a lot with nanotechnologies, where we try to apply our knowledge to control how molecules interact with each other. This becomes very important in many areas, including medicine. We are now collaborating with surgeons on a project, and I hope innovative systems for administering chemotherapy will be funded. We are also working on innovative treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.”
Patrizio Cicarelli
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