• Dr. Federico Tasca, of the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology, won one of the ISE Travel Awards for Young Electrochemists, together with other young scientists around the world who are significantly contributing to this field. At present, Dr. Tasca is focused on studying biofuel cells to generate electricity.

The Italian researcher Dr. Federico Tasca has been working for one year at the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology, developing projects in two parallel research lines. On one hand, he is doing research work on producing electricity from biofuel cells, to replace oil with alternative energies, but this still has not reached the levels suitable for its mass production.

On the other hand, with the collaboration of two students of the Bachelor of Science in Chemistry Program of that Faculty, he is conducting a study called Bilirubin Oxidase from Myrothecium verrucaria Physical Adsorbed onto Graphite Electrodes, on a reaction catalyzed by an enzyme in a fungus (that could be present in other sources, even in bacteria) that mainly affects wood.

The details of this latter research will be included in the oral communication that Dr. Tasca will present at the 65th Annual Meeting International of the International Society of Electrochemistry that will be held in September in Lausanne, Switzerland.

“This award recognizes the work that I have done in my postdoctoral research at Stanford and, this year, at Universidad de Santiago; it is one of the highest recognitions that you may be given after a postdoctoral experience and during the transition to become a professor,” Dr. Tasca says.

“For me, the award is very important because it means that my work is meaningful from a theoretical point of view and that the electrochemists community is aware of that,” he adds. He says that this award gives prominence to his work and also gives the University’s researchers the possibility of creating new networks and contacts.

“Many opportunities have been opened- he says- because the ISE awards this prize to promote the researcher’s participation in conferences, paper writing and promoting science, as an active researcher.”

Federico Tasca started his professional career in Italy, where he received his Master’s degree. After that, he completed his doctorate program in Sweden, where he learned bioelectrochemistry, and finally, he did his postdoctoral research at Stanford University, California, USA. Then he left the academic world for a year and traveled through South-East Asia and South America, working as a Chemical Engineer.

This is why he came to Chile and visited Santiago three times. Here, he met Professor José Sagal, who put Dr. Tasca in contact with Universidad de Santiago, just when he was no longer comfortable with travelling. Dr. Tasca was thinking of settling down when he learned about the opportunity to join the Faculty of Chemistry and Biology. He has been working here for a year and expects to stay for at least four more years.

The International Society of Electrochemistry (ISE) is considered as one of the most important scientific associations worldwide in this field. It was founded in 1949 and today it has members from 70 different countries.

Translated by Marcela Contreras