The Materials & Environment Lab (MEL), one of the four living laboratories within the REFRESH project, hosted a workshop today to present key research activities and the scientists driving them. The event featured not only senior researchers but also young scientists and new team members who have joined VSB-TUO from prestigious international institutions as part of the REFRESH initiative.
“I am delighted that we have established a functioning system within MEL, where accomplished senior scientists collaborate with promising young researchers. We can already highlight significant achievements—developing simple, affordable, and recyclable catalysts for various industries, creating next-generation materials for environmental technologies, and discovering atomic antibiotics to combat bacterial resistance,” said Radek Zbořil, Head of MEL and Scientific Director of the Nanotechnology Centre.
The workshop attracted prominent figures from both domestic and international scientific communities. Among the distinguished speakers was Pavel Hobza, recipient of the Czech Head and Schrödinger Medal for computer science, who shared insights into his lifelong focus on non-covalent interactions, emphasizing their applications in materials research.
Aristeidis Bakandritsos, a chemist involved in European projects such as MERGE and GLAS-A-Fuel at VSB-TUO, showcased advancements in low-dimensional materials for energy, environmental, and medical uses. Other notable contributors included scientists who recently relocated to Ostrava from prestigious German institutes. Associate Professor Jagadeesh Rajenahally, with three Science publications to his name and previous experience at the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis, presented his work on catalysis for sustainable and circular chemistry. The discussions also featured Indrajit Ghosh, an expert in photoredox catalysis and author of several landmark studies published in Science and Nature, who previously worked at the University of Regensburg. Yazhou Zhou, formerly from the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz, Germany, and now a MEL team member, shared his latest findings. Nabeel Maqsood, who recently joined VSB-TUO from Kaunas University of Technology in Lithuania, discussed his work on additive manufacturing and composite materials.
The high level of international collaboration within MEL and the influx of world-class scientists were warmly welcomed by Igor Ivan, REFRESH Director and Vice-Rector of VSB-TUO. “As REFRESH progresses into its second phase, we are pleased with the steps we’ve made in attracting top talent and achieving outstanding results. However, it is equally critical to focus on what comes next. We must ensure the continuity of our scientists’ work beyond the project’s conclusion, further supporting the transformation of the Moravian-Silesian Region,” Ivan remarked.
MEL’s research emphasizes the development of advanced materials through atomic engineering. Its multidisciplinary approach includes computational design using VSB-TUO’s supercomputing facilities, atomic-level material production tailored to specific applications, and in-depth characterization with state-of-the-art analytical and microscopy tools. The materials developed at MEL have potential applications in green energy for sustainable storage and conversion, environmental technologies such as advanced water purification, biomedicine, and the design of innovative catalysts for modern chemistry and pharmaceuticals.
Full gallery: https://mel.vsb.cz/photogallery/workshop-materials-environment-lab-listopad-2024/