Graduates received interdisciplinary teaching, with active methodologies that include activities with state-of-the-art equipment and interaction with CNPEM scientists
After three years of dedication and studies in an innovative teaching proposal, students from Ilum’s first class prepare for the graduation ceremony. The solemnity will be accompanied by the first edition of the Paulo Gontijo Award and happens on January 10th, at 4 pm, in the Sirius entrance hall, at CNPEM, in Campinas (SP). The two selected projects were studies on tuberculosis in Brazil and on breast milk, whose authors will receive R$10,000 each.
To earn a bachelor’s degree in Science and Technology, the 34 students, divided into groups of 2 or 3 members, worked on developing innovative projects on topics of national relevance. The goal is to encourage students to seek new scientific knowledge, but also highlight the transformative role of science for society, one of the pillars of Ilum’s formation.
The group composed of students Bárbara Rodrigues, Monyque Silva and Paola Ferrari won one of the awards with a study on the characteristics of breast milk and its relationship with human health. “The project integrated biology, computing and humanities, which was amazing for the career I want to build. The final work gave me the confidence to pursue an independent and mature scientific trajectory”, says Bárbara, who wants to engage in postgraduate study on genomics and molecular biology with a focus on healthcare. The other awarded project, by students Vitor Barelli and Tiago Bigardi, applied concepts from mathematical epidemiology to understand the incidence of tuberculosis in Brazil.
“We are deeply grateful to the Paulo Gontijo Institute for such a valuable collaboration. I am certain that our students are on a promising path towards outstanding careers in Science”, highlights Adalberto Fazzio, Ilum’s director.
In addition to the award-winning works, students from Ilum’s first class developed, throughout the second half of 2024, innovative projects in CNPEM laboratories on subjects of great contemporary relevance. Among them, research on biodegradable technological fabrics, green hydrogen production and storage, climate change impacts on cherry tomato cultivation, as well as advanced studies on Parkinson’s disease and heart diseases stands out. Some of these projects already demonstrate potential to generate patents.
All of this cutting-edge research environment was determinative to consolidate the partnership between Ilum and Paulo Gontijo Institute. The institute develops scientific support programs and projects with a focus on improving the quality of life of people with neuromuscular diseases and, since 2007, awards researchers from Brazil and around the world who study Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Marcela Gontijo, president of the entity, states that the new award is an act of gratitude and love for science and for all those who dedicate their time to build and understand the world we live in. “We teamed up with Ilum and CNPEM inspired by Sirius, the brightest star that illuminates our future scientists”, says Gontijo.
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. It is responsible for operating the Brazilian Synchrotron Light (LNLS), Biosciences (LNBio), Nanotechnology (LNNano), and Biorenewables (LNBR) National Laboratories, as well as the Ilum School of Science, which offers a bachelor’s degree program in science and technology with support from the Ministry of Education (MEC).
