Two images presented by the CIQUS PhD student Manuel Gómez (Massimo Lazzari Group) were awarded with an honourable mention at the Micro Nano Graph Contest of the 38th International Conference on Micro and Nano Engineering (MNE 2012). Both images correspond to “bio” models used to test the ability of replication with polymers synthesized in this research group and performed in the Microscopy Unit from Research Support Services at University of Santiago de Compostela (USC).
The first image, originally titled "Bright Tower" later renamed by the judges as "Chicago Parking Structure", corresponds to a photonic structure that produces very bright colours in white light illumination (structural colour). Second photograph, originally titled "Nanoworld Monster", shows a detail of the silicic skeleton of a diatom, Fragiliaria family, provided by Rafael Carballeira (Dept. of Botanic – USC).
Lazzari's team use the skeleton as a template or model to replicate that nanostructure with their polymers because of its small size.
The International Conference on Micro and Nano Engineering is the most important event at the European level on micro and nanofabrication, and also their applications in electronics, photonics, electro and environmental sciences and life.
This 2012 edition (MNE 2012) has had nearly 800 participants and over 600 contributions organized into four main areas: Micro-and nanolithography, Micro-and Nanofabrication/Engineering, Micro and Nano Systems and Micro and nanodevices and Systems for Biology, Chemistry and Medicine.
Notably, Manuel Gomez had already achieved an honourable mention in the photography contest held in the 2011 edition.
