13 nov ’24
Polarquest2018
The future of plastics: exploring new solutions with students at the BiotechPop Festival
Paola Catapano talks about Polarquest2018, sustainability and microplastics for environmental protection at the Festival BiotechPop in Apricena, Italy.
A Pioneering Scientific Outreach Event on the Future of Plastics.
Paola Catapano was invited to the BiotechPop festival in Apricena, in Apulia (her birth region in the South of Italy), by the IIS Federico II institute. The Festival is a forward-thinking event focused on replacing plastics with bioplastics, in collaboration with the Univeristy of Foggia and the ITS Institute in Lecce.
She presented several Polarquest expeditions and the results of microplastic sampling in the Arctic, highlighting the impact of human activity on the fragile Arctic ecosystem.
Environmental conservation is a central focus for the students of IIS Federico II, who propose innovative solutions for plastic use: “Discussing bioplastics and biotechnologies while the treaty against plastics is still being drafted means staying ahead of the curve and being ready for the ongoing change,” says Paola.
During the same tour, she also talked to the junior and high school students of Il Sottosopra, the newspaper of ITET Blaise Pascal in Foggia, who asked her about her future projects:
“I always have a project up my sleeve.” Paola said. “I have purchased a sailboat and plan to embark on a research and citizen science expedition with a clear focus: educating about environmental respect and contributing to environmental sciences to address the climate crisis we face today.”
More News & Events
Un nouveau bateau dans la Fleet4Science
Polarquest rencontre à La Rochelle Vladimir Charles à bord du 33 Export, le mythique voilier de la course au large française.
From the Higgs Boson to UN Plastic Pollution Negotiations
Read Paola Catapano’s article published on Societa’ Italiana di Fisica (SIF) Prima Pagina on how artificial intelligence techniques, originally developed for Higgs boson data analysis at CERN, are now being employed to accelerate global plastic pollution negotiations spearheaded by the United Nations.
CERN technology showcased in context of UN Plastic Treaty discussions
AI data analysis techniques developed at CERN were showcased during a side event of INC-5.2.
UN Plastic Treaty INC-5.2 – Side Event
The Polarquest Association, in partnership with CERN’s project Edge spAIce, organises a side event of the UN Plastic Treaty INC-5.2 at CERN’s Ideasquare and online to show how citizen science, supported by novel AI techniques, can help combat global plastic pollution.
The fight against plastic bags in Africa
Andrea Micozzi, a master’s student in theoretical physics at Sapienza University and contributor to Treccani, writes from Tanzania about the continent’s leading role in the fight against plastic waste—and what it reveals about our own habits.
BioBlitz activity report
On May 23, 2025, three vessels of the newly formed Fleet4Science teamed up with the Department of Environmental and Earth Sciences of the University of Milano-Bicocca to take part in the Spot-The-Monk campaign—an effort to monitor the elusive Mediterranean monk seal through environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling. This collaborative operation brought together marine biologists, sailboat owners, young students, and passionate science communicators in a unique blend of research, adventure, and public engagement.