Research centre at University of Limerick launches National Crystal Growing competition
IF GROWING crystals wasn’t the first task on your to-do list this morning, you might want to rethink it.
A University of Limerick (UL) research centre is challenging primary and post primary level students to grow crystals, using ingredients readily available at home.
In this national Science Technology Engineering Mathematical (STEM) contest, participants are tasked with competing to grow the biggest and highest quality single crystal.
Run by the Science Foundation Ireland research centres iCRAG, the SFI Research Centre for Applied Geosciences, and SSPC in UL and the SFI Research Centre for Pharmaceuticals, the competitors will have their crystals judged by professional chemists.
The competition's aim is to provide an educational learning opportunity for students to explore the pharmaceutical properties of crystal growth, and to have fun experimenting with the science behind the process.
What Martin McHugh, Project and Public Engagement Officer for SSPC describes as a “simple and safe” process, he remarks that the competition opens a door for students interested in chemistry to become future scientists.
“It is through education and outreach activities, such as this, that we will inspire the next generation of scientists and crystallographers.” Martin said.
The competition originated in 2014 as part of the celebrations for the International Year of Crystallography. It has since grown from strength to strength and is a great addition to the many Science Foundation of Ireland (SFI) outreach national programmes.
To enter the competition, participants must send a picture of their crystal to experts at iCRAG in the University College Dublin and SSPC in UL, before the closing date of April 28, 2023.