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Frances Watkins, 28 Jan
IF GROWING crystals wasn’t the first task on your to-do list this
morning, you might want to rethink it.
A University of Limerick (UL) research centre is challenging primary
and post primary level students to grow crystals, using ingredients
readily available at home.
In this national Science Technology Engineering Mathematical (STEM)
contest, participants are tasked with competing to grow the biggest and
highest quality single crystal.
Run by the Science Foundation Ireland research centres iCRAG, the SFI
Research Centre for Applied Geosciences, and SSPC in UL and the SFI
Research Centre for Pharmaceuticals, the competitors will have their
crystals judged by professional chemists.
The competition's aim is to provide an educational learning opportunity
for students to explore the pharmaceutical properties of crystal
growth, and to have fun experimenting with the science behind the
process.
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Mayor of Limerick and delegation to travel to New York for St Patrick's
Day
What Martin McHugh, Project and Public Engagement Officer for SSPC
describes as a “simple and safe” process, he remarks that the
competition opens a door for students interested in chemistry to become
future scientists.
“It is through education and outreach activities, such as this, that we
will inspire the next generation of scientists and crystallographers.”
Martin said.
The competition originated in 2014 as part of the celebrations for the
International Year of Crystallography. It has since grown from strength
to strength and is a great addition to the many Science Foundation of
Ireland (SFI) outreach national programmes.
To enter the competition, participants must send a picture of their
crystal to experts at iCRAG in the University College Dublin and SSPC
in UL, before the closing date of April 28, 2023.