On the wish list from the Symposium on Soft Matter: more events on data analysis and different types of courses
Participants at the Soft Matter Symposium at LINXS in October.
The Young Researchers’ Symposium on Soft Matter in October gathered 40 PhD students and postdocs, all working on research related to soft matter. The aim of the day was to bring young researchers from the soft matter field together and promote networking between users of X-rays and neutrons in different groups. Part of that was to get a conversation going on what events and activities are needed to inspire young researchers to build a community, progress their research, and build knowledge on X-ray and neutron techniques.
LINXS postdoctoral researcher Sebastian Köhler was part of organising the event.
– The symposium was a nice experience. We had many questions for the speakers and there were ongoing discussions during the breaks and poster presentation, says LINXS postdoctoral researcher Sebastian Köhler, who was part of organising the event.
The day was structured around presentations by speakers from different areas within soft matter, ranging from atmospheric aerosols over different lipid-protein systems to sample environments for soft matter experiments. This was followed by a poster session and a discussion about what kind of events LINXS could organise in the future that people would find useful.
Data analysis - a big knowledge gap
One topic, in particular, was highlighted by PhD student and postdocs, as an area where they would like more support: analysis of data acquired during experiments. The people in attendance would like to see LINXS organise activities and workshops related to different ways of analysing data.
– It is clear that there are many questions surrounding data analysis, and what to do with the data once you have performed an experiment, says Sebastian Köhler.
Other topics that were identified as interesting to pursue for future Young Researchers’ Initiatives were focused courses on different scattering methods, everything from beginners’ courses in small angle scattering or reflectometry, to more in-depth courses on for example how to treat imperfect data and troubleshooting. A version of the already existing LINXS SAS clinics that focuses on specific topics, like e.g. an afternoon with experts in analysis of protein data would be interesting for many people.
– People want to learn, and LINXS can be a good place to facilitate different stages of knowledge and practice in relation to the various techniques, says Sebastian Köhler.
Jennifer Gilbert is a PhD student in the Division of Physical Chemistry, Lund University. She won first prize for her poster “Lipid nanoparticles using cationic ionisable lipids: Effect of cargo on structure”.
The day also included a poster exhibition, where 10 people presented their research. The winner was Jennifer Gilbert, PhD student in the Division of Physical Chemistry, Lund University, for her poster on “Lipid nanoparticles using cationic ionisable lipids: Effect of cargo on structure”.
– Having a poster exhibition is a great way for people to find out about other people’s science. Since one of our aims is to create networks and future collaborations, this element helps with that, says Sebastian Köhler.
About the Young Researchers’ Initiatives (YRIs)
They aim to establish a dynamic platform for early career scientists, such as PhD students, post-docs and undergraduate students. They are directed towards those that are engaged in, or interested in utilizing, neutrons and X-rays in their research. LINXS wants to provide an environment that encourages interaction and learning, and provides networking opportunities for young scientists across diverse scientific disciplines. The focus areas of YRIs roughly align with LINXS’ thematic domains, encompassing Life Science, Hard Matter, and Soft Matter.