Aerogels for Biomedical and Environmental Applications

Gabrijela Horvat; Zoran Novak

doi:10.1515/ci-2024-0125

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Aerogels for Biomedical and Environmental Applications

Gabrijela Horvat and Zoran Novak

Published/Copyright: January 31, 2024

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From the journal Chemistry International Volume 46 Issue 1

The 3rd International Conference on Aerogels for Biomedical and Environmental Applications was held in Maribor, Slovenia, 5-7 July 2023, and was organized by AERoGELS COST Action and the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, Slovenia. AERoGELS COST, which features more than 400 participants from 47 countries and more than 200 institutions from academia, industry, and regulatory agencies, focuses primarily on environmental applications such as pollutant treatment and removal, energy management, and life cycle analysis. It also encompasses life sciences, including aerogels’ pharmaceutical, biomedical, and food applications.

The organizing committee was led by Zoran Novak of the University of Maribor, Slovenia. Other organizing committee members were Carlos A. Garcia-Gonzalez from the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Gabrijela Horvat, Amra Perva, and Milica Pantić, all from the University of Maribor, Slovenia.

The Scientific Committee, composed of experts from renowned institutions worldwide, played a crucial role in ensuring the quality and relevance of the conference. Members of the Scientific Committee included Carmen Alvarez-Lorenzo from the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Tatiana Budtova from Mines ParisTech, France; Luisa Durães from the University of Coimbra, Portugal; Can Erkey from Koç University, Turkey; Marta Gallo from Politecnico di Torino, Italy; Jozsef Kalmar from the University of Debrecen, Hungary; Falk Liebner from BOKU University, Austria; Monica Neagu from Victor Babes Institute, Romania; Patrina Paraskevopoulou from National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece; Irina Smirnova from Hamburg University of Technology, Germany; and Željko Tomović from Eindhoven University of Technology, the Netherlands. They all played an important role in evaluating the abstracts and ensuring the high quality of the presentations.

The main objective of the conference was to integrate the latest scientific and technological advances in the field of aerogels. In addition, the event was intended to facilitate networking and strengthen collaboration within the aerogel community through poster sessions, social events, coffee breaks, and meals.

Aerogels are known for their advanced and highly porous nature and have a wide range of applications in biomedical and environmental fields. Aerogels can be used in biomedical applications as drug carriers, bone grafts, and wound dressings. They also serve as insulators, absorbents, sensors, and catalysts in various environmental applications.

The conference program included three Early Career Investigator (ECI) forums, one Short-Term Scientific Mission (STSM) forum, 46 oral presentations, and 16 poster presentations. The ECI and STSM forums were led by young investigators, including graduate students and postdocs. The program provided a platform for young scientists to present their work and foster discussions among participants. The program also included a special session discussing the concept of aerogel. This session took place on the second day of the conference and was chaired by Falk Liebner. The aim of the discussion was to discuss the development of new terminology for aerogels, considering the progress and new trends in the field. This session provided a valuable platform for researchers and experts to exchange ideas and contributed to the ongoing efforts to establish a standardized and accurate terminology in aerogel research.

Renowned plenary speakers gave insightful presentations on various aspects of aerogels. Ana Aguiar-Ricardo from Nova University of Lisbon Portugal and Igor Lacík from Slovak Academy of Sciences, both IUPAC representatives, gave a tandem plenary talk on “The IUPAC-Aerogels Connection: Aerogels as one of the IUPAC Top Ten Emerging Technologies in Chemistry in 2022.” Ali Ubeyitogullari from University of Arkansas, USA, discussed advanced 3D printing technologies related to aerogels for food applications. Matjaž Finšgar from the University of Maribor, Slovenia, gave a presentation on surface analysis of biomaterials.

Award for best oral presentation.

Over 400 participants from all over the world gathered at the 3rd International Conference on Aerogels for Biomedical and Environmental Applications in Maribor, Slovenia, 5-7 July 2023. The event focuses primarily on environmental applications such as pollutant treatment and removal, energy management, and life cycle analysis.

The conference was attended by about 90 people, with an almost equal ratio of women to men. The event was supported by Merel d.o.o., Kemomed d.o.o., Polymers (MDPI), Chemas d.o.o., Micro polo d.o.o., Mettler Toledo d.o.o., Springer, and IUPAC. Three awards for the best oral contributions were awarded to young researchers: Second prize went to Philip Sidney Pein and Sara Valente, who received books from Springer, while Tania Ferreira Goncalves received first prize and a cash prize of €600 from Polymers. Ana Iglesias Mejuto received the prize for the best poster presentation and a cash prize of €400 from Polymers.

The 3rd International Conference on Aerogels for Biomedical and Environmental Applications provided an exceptional platform for experts to share their insights, knowledge, and experiences in the field. The conference provided an excellent opportunity for researchers, engineers, and professionals to learn about the latest aerogel advances and foster collaboration. The conference was a resounding success, and the organizers would like to thank all participants, sponsors, and contributors for their valuable contributions and active involvement. The fruitful outcomes of the conference suggest that advances in the field of aerogels for biomedical and environmental applications will continue, driving innovation and progress in these important research areas.

For more information about the conference, please visit the official website or contact the organizing committee at aerogels23@um.si. https://cost-aerogels.eu/activities/events/3rd-international-conference-on-aerogels-for-biomedical-and-environmental-applications/

Published Online: 2024-01-31

Published in Print: 2024-01-01

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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