CLAIRE O'CONNELL
KILKENNY:SCIENTIFIC BOUNDARIES are blurring as disciplines increasingly work together, a trend that will be highlighted this month at Science Foundation Ireland's Science Summit in Kilkenny.
This year's theme is Convergent Worldsand it brings together over 350 Irish-based researchers plus a panel of international experts to discuss topics including energy, health, sensing and structural aspects of science research, as well as commercialisation, communication and ethics.
Keynote speakers include chemist Prof Daniel Nocera from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), whose work focuses on efficient energy use. Earlier this year Nocera unveiled a catalyst for carrying out artificial photosynthesis - a system that splits water to release hydrogen and oxygen.
This could eventually pave the way for inexpensive systems to store electrical energy derived from renewable sources, such as wind or solar power, making them more efficient in practice.
Nobel laureat Prof Dr Robert Huber will also address the conference and delegates will also hear from Prof Iain Mattaj, director general of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg.
The Science Summit runs on November 17th and 18th in Lyrath Estate, Kilkenny.
