Introduction

• Özgül Öztürk

Synchrotron science

• Giorgio Paolucci

Synchrotrons and secondary education

• Tracy Walker

This session will provide participants with examples of how synchrotrons and the stories of research conducted provide an excellent context for curricular concepts often discussed in science classrooms. The Canadian Light Source synchrotron has been engaging with secondary teachers and their students in various ways and will be the focus of the case studies.

Question & Answer

European Research Projects and Networks

• Cecilia Blasetti

European funding is a career boost for both individuals and groups. The lecture will guide you through large European projects and networks presenting current opportunities for training, transnational Access and enlarging your scientific collaborations.

Multiscale Infrared Spectroscopy for Life and Environmental Sciences

• Giovanni Birarda

Synchrotron infrared spectroscopy is a powerful, label-free technique that provides chemical information from the microscale to the nanoscale, making it especially valuable for life sciences, environmental science, and biomineralization research. At SISSI-Bio, advanced FTIR, microspectroscopy, and nanospectroscopy workflows enable multiscale studies of living cells, microorganisms, biominerals, and environmental samples, including investigations of pollution, carbon cycling, and biomineral formation. This presentation will show how synchrotron-based infrared methods can be combined with correlative and multivariate analysis approaches to extract meaningful information from complex datasets. It will also highlight the use of open-source data analysis tools such as Quasar, for user-friendly analysis of hyperspectral and spectromicroscopy data.

Question & Answer

Micro/Nano fabrication for curious people

• Benedetta Marmiroli

The talk will be about the beginnings of microfabrication, about the most common micro/nanofabrication techniques, and finally about deep X-ray lithography with synchrotron radiation. It will also include some tips on how to make simple microfabrication experiments.

Exploring materials with X-ray and electron microscopies

• Iulia Cojocariu

This lecture will introduce how X-ray and low-energy electron microscopy can be used to investigate the surface structure, chemical composition, and electronic properties of materials. With a particular focus on SPELEEM microscopy at the Nanospectroscopy beamline of Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, the talk will present how different measurement modes provide complementary information on materials and surfaces. Using examples from real experiments, I will show how these techniques allow us to make hidden features visible, compare different regions of a sample, and connect what we observe in an image with the underlying properties of the material. The lecture will give participants an inside view of how scientists explore materials in practice and how fundamental concepts from physics and chemistry are transformed into practical tools for investigating real-world materials.

Question & Answer

Mathematics as a Bridge in Synchrotron Science

• Georgios Kourousias

Synchrotrons are exotic and deeply multidisciplinary environments, where physics, engineering, computing, data science, and experimental methods constantly meet. In this context, mathematics can act both as a practical tool and as a forma mentis: a way of structuring problems, building common languages, and moving across disciplines. This short talk will reflect on one possible path among many: from theoretical mathematics to applied computing, from algorithms for data analysis to real beamtime experiments in X-ray imaging and spectromicroscopy, and onward to AI and quantum computing. The central idea is that mathematics alone is not enough: lifelong learning is a necessity. But mathematics often provides the first bridge, helping us enter new fields, understand their challenges, and contribute meaningfully to interdisciplinary research at accelerator facilities.

Virtual tour of Elettra

• Tevfik Onur Menteş

Question & Answer

Chasing Light: Integrating Beamline Science in high School Classroom to foster research oriented learning; experiences, challenges and insights

• Mirwat Shamshad

The talk explores how participation in a virtual beamline research project immersed all girl’s high school students group from Islamabad in authentic scientific inquiry through the investigation of materials used in skin products and their societal relevance. Aligned with beamline research, the project extended beyond material analysis to the design and execution of a social science survey, enabling students to connect scientific investigation with real world usage patterns and public awareness. The talk will also outline the journey from developing a research proposal to conducting a research, data interpretation and presenting scientific results, while reflecting on the challenges, insights and development of the key 21st century skills including critical thinking, collaboration, scientific communication, and research oriented learning.

Energy related materials and battery research at synchrotrons

• Jasper Plaisier

Climate change and geopolitical instability have accelerated the global transition from carbon-based energy to clean, sustainable sources. While significant progress has been made in improving the efficiency of converting natural energy into electricity, the intermittent nature of sources such as wind and solar has placed energy storage at the forefront of current scientific research. Synchrotron radiation provides a powerful suite of techniques to investigate the atomic and molecular properties of novel energy storage materials for next-generation batteries. This lecture provides a general overview of the field and presents practical examples of research conducted using synchrotron sources to advance the development of efficient energy storage technologies.