Doctoral student Julia Nadrowska spent a month in the laboratories of the Nanotechnology Centre CEET, where, under the expert guidance of Gabriela Kratošová, she gained practical experience with advanced methods of nanomaterial analysis and characterisation.
During her internship, she familiarised herself with various approaches to nanomaterial analysis and learned how electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray diffraction can be used to investigate their properties and structure. She also gained practical experience in the field of phytosynthesis by participating in the creation of copper nanoparticles using plant extracts.
In her doctoral research, the student focuses on the synthesis of nanoparticles using microscopic fungi and their subsequent encapsulation, for example into casein, for agricultural applications. Her newly acquired experience with phytosynthesis has thus enabled her to broaden her current research focus. Her supervisors at her home university are Patrycja Golińska and Joanna Trzcińska-Wencel.
"This internship allowed me to develop a better understanding of nanomaterial characterization methods and to gain hands-on experience that will be useful in my future research. My work so far involved fungal synthesis of nanoparticles, so it was especially interesting for me to try plant-mediated synthesis. I appreciate the friendly and supportive atmosphere at the University, and I am grateful to everyone who devoted their time to sharing their knowledge and experience with me, especially to my internship supervisor Dr. Gabriela Kratošová. Overall, my stay at VSB – TUO was a valuable experience, both scientifically and personally," said Julia Nadrowska, evaluating her stay.
The internship also built upon the long-standing partnership between the two institutions, which was supported in 2022 by Joanna Trzcińska-Wencel's research stay at the Nanotechnology Centre. The mutual exchange of experience further strengthens international partnerships and creates opportunities for new joint research projects.
You can look forward to the results of this collaboration next year. The most interesting research findings will be presented at the NanoOstrava conference.