First SURRI Summer School in Granada: lectures on bioremediation

A team from the University of Granada (UGR) organised the first summer school for the SURRI team. Held in Granada from 3 to 6 June 2024, the event, organised by Professor Mohamed L. Merroun's group, brought together approximately 40 participants, including early career researchers, PhD students and Masters students from partner universities such as Granada University, Southampton University, Technical University of Liberec and Sapienza University of Rome.

Participants heard a series of lectures on bioremediation of toxic metals and recovery of critical elements in the concept of circular economy. They also had the opportunity to tour the experimental units at the Centro de Instrumentación Científica, where they saw equipment such as the flow cytometry laboratory, the scanning electron microscope laboratory and the transmission electron microscope laboratory. In addition, the summer school provided valuable training in international project management and equipped participants with essential skills for their growth and future careers.

"The organization of our summer school represents a significant milestone for the entire SURRI project team. It highlights our commitment to fostering international collaboration and providing valuable professional experience to the next generation of researchers. We look forward to organising more events like this in the future and continuing to develop the field of bioremediation," says lead organiser Mohamed Merroun from the University of Granada.

The Granada Summer School featured lectures by invited scientists from prominent institutions, including the Slovak Academy of Sciences (Dr. Daniel Kupka and Dr. Lenka Hagarová), Swansea University (Dr. Jesús Ojeda), Nova University Lisbon (Dr. Catarina Paquete) and the University of Warsaw (Dr. Lucian Staicu). These lectures enriched the experience of the participants and offered insights into excellent research and practical applications in the field of bioremediation.

The summer school not only enriched professional experience and project skills, but also provided opportunities for networking, exchanging experiences and meeting like-minded scientists. This fostered a sense of belonging and collaboration between researchers from different backgrounds and institutions.