Participation at the 16th Montpellier Summer School 2025

Dr. Lenka Buňová, Dr. Alfredo Sanchez, Mansi Dua, Garima Thakur, and Amol Logavi participated in the 16th Montpellier Summer School 2025 — a workshop for new researchers in glass science and applications. The workshop was held from July 7 to 11 in Montpellier, France.

The program offered a comprehensive overview of the fundamentals of glass science, with a focus on structure–property relationships and experimental techniques, including material preparation, simulations, and tools used to probe structure. Specific properties and applications were also covered, addressing topics such as thermodynamics and kinetics, optical behavior, mass transport, nucleation and crystallization, strength, sol‑gel processing, and good laboratory practice.

At the start of the summer school, our students introduced their individual research interests. They were then divided into small groups according to these interests and assigned project topics. Each group prepared a presentation to explain their topic to the other participants, helping them develop both presentation and discussion skills. Throughout the week, the students also attended lectures delivered by leading experts and professionals from industry.

Project Topics:

Alfredo – From CD to Phase‑Change Memories
This project explored phase‑change memories (PCM), which use chalcogenide glasses to store information by taking advantage of their ability to rapidly transition between amorphous and crystalline phases. The team presented the state of the art in this technology, proposed potential modifications, and analyzed challenges and opportunities for future development.

Mansi – Biofouling on Glass Floats Used in Fishing Nets
Large hollow glass spheres are often used to support fishing nets. This project investigated whether an active community of plants could colonize these surfaces, the timescale of such colonization, and potential problems caused by biofouling.

Garima & Amol – Recycling and Impurity Build‑Up
This project focused on developing a scheme to achieve a 96% recovery rate in glass recycling. The team discussed common impurities that can accumulate over time and proposed strategies to mitigate these during the recycling process.

Lenka – Clean Water and Glassy Materials
This project addressed the importance of clean water in modern life and explored how glassy materials can support water purification. The team designed a three‑step cleaning system based on borosilicate glass, focusing on modifications to remove both inorganic contaminants and biological contamination. They also developed a laboratory procedure for testing the system and proposed methods for safely handling and disposing of used filter media at the end of its life cycle.

Thank you for the excellent representation of FunGlass at this event.