🚀 Young Scientists in WUM Laboratories – High School Students Working on a Project for the European Space Agency
In recent months, the Department and Chair of Biochemistry at the Medical University of Warsaw hosted a group of six students from the international sections of II Społecznego Liceum Ogólnokształcącego z Oddziałami Międzynarodowymi im. Pawła Jasienicy, who are developing a research project as part of the ESA CanSat – HS Project Neptune Competition, organized by the European Space Agency.
The CanSat competition challenges participants to design a mini-satellite the size of a soda can, which is launched by a rocket to an altitude of approximately 2 km and performs a series of measurements during its descent. As part of the primary mission, the probe records parameters such as altitude, atmospheric pressure, and temperature, while also carrying out an original scientific mission designed by the team.
The HS Project Neptune team is developing an innovative prototype designed to study conditions that favor the initiation of cloud formation in the atmosphere ☁️. The project involves the use of a hygroscopic salt as a condensation nucleus, together with a measurement system based on a laser diode and a light sensor, which allows the team to verify whether water vapor condensation occurs inside the probe.
As part of their preparations for the competition, the students conducted a series of laboratory experiments investigating the hygroscopic properties of selected substances and the mechanisms of water vapor condensation in the laboratories of the Department of Biochemistry. Working with professional laboratory equipment and specialized reagents allowed the team to validate the experimental assumptions of their project and gain their first hands-on experience in scientific research 🔬.
The involvement of our Department in educational initiatives and collaboration with talented young students is an important element of the mission of the Medical University of Warsaw. Providing access to research infrastructure for young science enthusiasts helps develop their research skills and inspires them to pursue future careers in science. At the same time, it demonstrates how the academic environment can support innovative ideas of the younger generation 🌍.
Below we present photo documentation from the experiments carried out in the laboratories of the Department of Biochemistry at WUM.
To learn more about the team’s project, visit:
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