Summer placement student wins SATRO award

Bo-Yan Chung, a student at Riddlesworth Collegiate, spent five weeks at the Advanced Technology Institute (ATI) through a research placement organised by SATRO, an educational charity which aims to provide real life experience for young people in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) sectors.

Working in Dr Radu Sporea’s team, Bo-Yan developed the fabrication of passive electronic components using daily-life organic materials such as egg white, and inkjet printing technology.

Describing her experience, Bo-Yan said: “My time on the placement was extremely enjoyable and insightful; I met so many talented people and learnt a lot about electronics. This experience taught me many skills that will help me during school and in the future, such as report writing, and being able to think creatively to overcome challenges in my work. I would like to say thank you to those who supported me during the project, and for this amazing opportunity!”

Postdoctoral researcher Dr Brice Le Borgne supervised the work and described the results as “very encouraging for the industrialization of low-cost biosourced electronics”. He commented: “The main outcome of this early-stage study could be to develop inexpensive prototyping tools for SMEs, education facilities, and makers’ communities in demand of large-area, low cost, and flexible electronic devices.”

Dr Sporea added: “Through this particular project we hope to prove that a future of low-cost electronics, with a very low burden on the environment, can be realised by enterprising engineers. The enthusiasm for science is always there in young people, and in these placements we seek to facilitate the expression of their curiosity and ingenuity, with very rewarding results. Our thanks go to SATRO and all their volunteers for organising such essential educational activities.”

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