At LGC, our scientists work on a wide range of projects, from environmental analysis and food authenticity to proficiency testing and genomic healthcare solutions. They are dedicated to using their expertise to make the world a safer place, and we want to share their dedication with you.We recently spoke with one of our senior scientists, Antonio, to learn about the important work he does and what inspired him to become a scientist. He’s passionate about the environment and sharing his knowledge with others to benefit society!
“Science means always asking lots of ‘why’s’ but it also means applying a logical approach based on facts. Today more than ever this is becoming of vital importance.”
When did you first become interested in science?
In primary school I became fascinated by math (yes, I admit, I was a kind of weird kid!) and was also pretty good at it, while the interest in science grew in me later on. The first time I realised that science could actually be cool was in high school when I got to analyse the quality of olive oil and red wine, which are definitely two of the most important liquid phases in the south of Italy!
Then, my passion about environment protection led me to become an environmental engineer, which was followed by a PhD in the use of solid sorbents to capture CO2 from air (and the beginning of a struggle against climate change denial). After that, I started working at LGC, slightly diverting my focus from environment to patient protection. I can no doubt say that my interest in science has been a crescendo!
What work do you focus on?
At LGC, I have focused on the determination of a wide range of physical properties (surface area/energy, morphology, crystallinity, hygroscopicity, and melting), mostly for pharmaceutical products but also for other types of materials. In order to do that, I have applied some powerful characterisation techniques such as PXRD, iGC-SEA, DVS, and DSC.
Who inspires you?
I am inspired by people who are dedicated and passionate about what they do, and try to pass their feelings on to others and share their knowledge with them.
What does science mean to you today?
To me, science means always asking lots of “why’s” but it also means applying logical approach based on facts. Today more than ever this is becoming of vital importance. We need more and more people approaching the science world (and the other way around) and being able to trust it. This can only be achieved if scientists strive to reach both non-specialists and, of course, younger people in schools by showing enthusiasm as well as understanding.
What do you think about the future of science?
Communication is fundamental for science progress. The more people scientists can effectively reach, the easier it will be to spread the knowledge and the advantages of scientific innovation, which will be beneficial for the entire community. Social media is a powerful tool that has to be used wisely and efficiently. However, like with anything else, there are pros and cons. On one hand, the potential of reaching a huge number of people in a fast and straightforward manner is great. On the other hand, having to disprove the ridiculous amount of fake news based on pseudoscience can be a hard task.
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