Thanks to Comenius University, Slovak scientists are conducting unique experiments at the largest neutron centre in Europe
For more than 15 years, the Slovak scientific community, led by Comenius University Bratislava (CU), has been an active participant in research projects at the prestigious Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) in Grenoble. Thanks to Slovakia’s membership in this unique European infrastructure, Slovak scientists have access to the most advanced neutron source in the world, where they conduct top-level experiments every year in fields such as physics, chemistry, biology, and pharmacy. More details were provided by Norbert Kučerka, the academic representative for Slovakia at ILL.
Institut Laue-Langevin: The heart of European neutron research
The Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) is one of the most important scientific centres in Europe. Its heavy-water nuclear reactor produces about 58 megawatts and is the most intense neutron source in the world. Neutrons travel through neutron guides to more than 40 experimental stations, where almost 2,000 scientists from member countries carry out over 800 experiments every year in various scientific fields - from physics and chemistry to biology, pharmacy, and materials research.
The institute was founded in 1967 with an agreement between France and Germany; in 1974, the United Kingdom joined. These three countries are the main partners and owners of ILL, which operates as a non-governmental, non-profit organisation. Other scientific member countries, including Slovakia, have joined over time. ILL’s importance for European science is enormous: it offers unique opportunities for research in material sciences, energy, quantum materials, biology, pharmacy, drug development, and environmental research. “It is currently the only large neutron source of its kind in Europe. For European users, it is one of the few chances to access neutrons,” says Dr. Norbert Kučerka from the CU Faculty of Pharmacy, who is also the chair of the ILL SK Coordination Committee.
Slovakia in ILL: CU's key role
Slovakia has been a scientific member of ILL since 2009, with Comenius University Bratislava as the main representative and coordinator. “From the beginning in 2009, there was an agreement that Comenius University, which appeared to be the most active, would lead this cooperation. Over time, we formalised this and established the National Platform for Cooperation with ILL, which covers the entire Slovak Republic,” explains Dr. Kučerka. This platform brings together CU, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice (UPJŠ), and the Slovak Academy of Sciences, representing the interests of the whole Slovak scientific community. Membership in ILL allows Slovak scientists to conduct experiments on equipment unavailable domestically.
Access to unique experiments and achievements of Slovak teams
Thanks to the high quality of their projects, Slovak scientific teams regularly exceed their measurement time quota - currently about 10 days per year. “The results of Slovak scientists have repeatedly received very positive feedback from ILL management. We regularly submit new proposals and often take part in measurements,” adds Dr. Kučerka. The most active is the CU Faculty of Pharmacy, but scientific groups from the CU's Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics also participate, for example from the Department of Biophysics and Nuclear Physics.
One example is a recent experiment by a team from the Faculty of Pharmacy led by Professor Uhríková. “Two weeks ago, we were in Grenoble for an experiment, working as a team of three for seven days. We focused on how a particular drug binds in the structure of pulmonary surfactant. Such detailed information is possible thanks to the unique ILL infrastructure, which is not available at home,” explains N. Kučerka.
Opportunities for young researchers and doctoral students
ILL also offers Slovak students and young researchers opportunities for long-term internships and PhD placements in Grenoble. “At the start of the year, we announced a competition, and from September, one of our students will go for a year-long stay, funded from our contribution. This time, it is a PhD student from CU's Faculty of Pharmacy,” says N. Kučerka. In the past, other PhD students from CU and UPJŠ have also completed successful placements. In addition, Slovak students regularly take part in summer schools and international courses organised by ILL, enabling them to gain valuable experience in neutron science and establish contacts with colleagues from around the world.
The future of the cooperation and the importance of ILL for Slovakia
Member states have recently extended ILL’s operation until 2033, guaranteeing continuity of research and further opportunities for Slovak scientists. “Last year, we signed a new contract for five years, so we have a stable period and can fully concentrate on scientific work without time pressure,” assesses Dr. Kučerka. Slovakia will thus continue to benefit from ILL’s unique opportunities in both basic and applied research, including the development of new materials, drugs, and energy technologies. Norbert Kučerka also emphasises that ILL is irreplaceable for Slovak science: “If we were trying to find something similar in Slovakia, such opportunities simply do not exist. In Europe, one might find institutions of comparable scale, but in neutron research, ILL is unique.” Thanks to the active participation of CU and other Slovak institutions, researchers from Slovakia have access to top European infrastructure, enabling them to carry out world-class research. Cooperation with ILL is proof that Slovak science holds a strong position in the European research area and can achieve significant results even in the most demanding fields.
Eva Kopecká