Second-year students at Ilum School of Science visited the Center for Information Technology Renato Archer (CTI), in Campinas, in yet another action that is part of the partnership signed in August between the two institutions. Accompanied by professors Juliana Smetana and Felipe Crasto de Lima, the undergraduate students in Science and Technology had access to an overview of the various lines of research developed at the CTI and discussed possibilities for future interdisciplinary projects.
During the visit, CTI researchers presented 20 potential directions for scientific research, covering areas ranging from the synthesis of materials for biosensors and photocatalysis, through “organ-on-chip” systems that simulate the functions of human organs, to OLEDs, photonic circuits, optoelectronic devices, textile electronics, and 3D printing for biomedical and industrial applications.
According to Professor Felipe Crasto de Lima, the activity was planned to expand the students’ horizons: “This meeting was essential to broaden students’ vision regarding the possibilities for research and innovation, showing how science connects to different areas of knowledge.”
The proposals presented are aligned with the three main areas of Ilum’s bachelor’s degree — Matter Sciences, Life Sciences and Data Sciences. The expectation is that, starting in the first semester of 2026, students will begin to develop their final projects in collaboration with CTI researchers, initiating a process of scientific co-creation. In the second semester, the practical implementation phase will take place within the center’s laboratories.
Student Katarina da Silva Vilarins highlighted the impact the visit had on the consolidation of her final project: “What caught my attention most was the diversity of the proposals and how closely they align with our areas of interest. I already had some ideas in mind, and seeing that some of them were already being explored at the CTI, I was able to visualize how to put them into practice. This helped me to mature the theme of my final project.”
Katarina revealed that she intends to investigate solutions related to hyperhidrosis, a clinical condition she herself experiences and that she considers little studied. Inspired by research into devices observed in the ICU, she intends to advance a prototype that aids in the diagnosis or improves the quality of life for people with the condition.
The visit reinforced the role of the partnership between Ilum and CTI Renato Archer as a catalyst for innovation, interdisciplinarity and practical training. For the students, it was a chance to see how their ideas can take shape in cutting-edge research environments.
About the Ilum School of Science
Ilum offers a free undergraduate degree program that utilizes an interdisciplinary approach to train scientists and professionals in science and technology. With an innovative educational model, the three-year full-time bachelor program offers courses that connect life sciences, materials science, data science, artificial intelligence, and the humanities in order to prepare researchers to work in an ethical and collaborative manner in the search for solutions to the global challenges of the twenty-first century. The Ilum School of Science is funded by the Brazilian Ministry of Education (MEC) and is part of the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) in Campinas, São Paulo, a social organization overseen by the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MCTI). Ilum's educational mission offers early contact with experimental activities, in teaching labs at the school as well as at CNPEM, in projects carried out together with researchers.
About CNPEM
The Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) is home to a state-of-the-art, multi-user and multidisciplinary scientific environment and works on different fronts within the Brazilian National System for Science, Technology and Innovation. A social organization overseen by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), CNPEM is driven by research that impacts the areas of health, energy, renewable materials, and sustainability. It is responsible for Sirius, the largest assembly of scientific equipment constructed in the country, and is currently constructing Project Orion, a laboratory complex for advanced pathogen research. Highly specialized science and engineering teams, sophisticated infrastructure open to the scientific community, strategic lines of investigation, innovative projects involving the productive sector, and training for researchers and students are the pillars of this institution that is unique in Brazil and able to serve as a bridge between knowledge and innovation. CNPEM’s research and development activities are carried out through its four National Laboratories: Synchrotron Light (LNLS), Biosciences (LNBio), Nanotechnology (LNNano), Biorenewables (LNBR), as well as its Technology Unit (DAT) and the Ilum School of Science — an undergraduate program in Science and Technology supported by the Ministry of Education (MEC).
