Plastics, Biology and the Environment: C.I.R.AM. alongside the new generations

At the event "Plastics, Biology and the Environment," promoted by the Department of Biology to bring schools closer to the world of research, the C.I.R.AM. - Interdepartmental Research Center for the Environment of the University of Naples Federico II brought its institutional greetings, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between science, school and active citizenship in the environmental challenge related to plastics.

"It is a great pleasure for me," said Professor Giulia Guerriero, Director of C.I.R.AM. - to participate in an event that represents a valuable moment of dissemination of scientific culture, especially towards the new generations. The issue of plastics is emblematic: a useful and economic resource, but also a growing cause of environmental pollution and impacts on health and ecosystems. Addressing it requires knowledge, awareness and collaboration. And in this our Center can and will make a concrete contribution."

C.I.R.AM., thanks to its interdisciplinary vocation, combines skills ranging from biology to chemistry and engineering, fromcircular economy to environmental regulation, to develop an integrated vision of environmental issues. In particular, with respect to the issue of plastics, the Center is actively engaged on several fronts: in the study of microplastics and their impact on biodiversity and health; in the monitoring of environmental contaminants, in collaboration with agencies and institutions; in research on alternative and biodegradable materials, to reduce the impact of conventional plastics; and in the promotion of environmental education, with a special focus on involving schools and young people.

"What we care most about," Professor Guerriero continued, "is building connections: between disciplines, between institutions, between generations. No real transformation is possible without the active involvement of those who are being trained today and will lead change tomorrow. This is why we turn with confidence and hope to female students: their curiosity, ability to ask questions and imagine new solutions is what can really make a difference."

C.I.R.AM. reaffirms its commitment not only to soil and water recovery research, but also to science outreach and education of the younger generation, so that events like this can be the beginning of a path of awareness and, perhaps, even a future scientific vocation.