Today we got the chance to visit the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS. Here, we listened to three different lectures on different research projects that were currently ongoing. Of the three, the two that stood out was one on cancer research and molecular machines. The later of those two relates to the research I do at Pitt so I found this particularly meaningful. There process were using 2D molecules with different activation energies in order motivate some physical process that rotates or moves molecules. At Pitt, I work in 2D materials at the nanoscale and we have to precisely maneuver these molecules without damaging samples. The machines they were using would make my research easier to conduct, however, it is not realistic due to the costs of these specific machines.
After visiting this institute, we got to spend dinner together on a river cruise down the Vlatava River. This was super fun and memorable as it would be the last time we were together as a group in an activity like this. It lasted three hours and when we all finally got off the boat, the reality that the trip was almost over started to hit. I was hesitant at joining a program like this at first, but after experiencing it, I can definetly say it will be one of the most memorable experiences in college.
Swanson School of Engineering 