The project “Discovering mineral nanoinclusions in diamonds” by Professor Fabrizio Nestola from the Department of Geosciences at the University of Padua has been awarded €2 million in funding under the second edition of the Italian Science Fund (FIS) by the Ministry of University and Research (MUR). This funding, to be used over the next three years, will enable the acquisition of advanced equipment for studying matter at the nanoscale.

New Research Perspectives

With this new equipment, Professor Nestola's team will study nano-crystals found in specific diamonds, aiming to analyze for the first time the fluid responsible for their crystallization. “This will allow us to understand, for the first time, the nature of the fluid that crystallizes diamonds,” explains Prof. Nestola.

The acquired equipment will make it possible to analyze matter through the interaction between an electron beam and the sample itself, enabling an in-depth study of crystals at the nanoscale. Beyond geosciences, this technology will also be useful in other fields such as pharmacology and solid-state physics.

The Success of FIS and the Role of the University of Padua

Nestola's project is one of nine projects from the University of Padua funded by FIS, which ranked the university second in Italy for the number of approved projects. Altogether, Padua researchers received a total of €14.3 million in funding.

The Rector, Daniela Mapelli, commented: “This result confirms the quality of research conducted at our university and the crucial role of science for the future. I congratulate the researchers for their excellent work.”

The Italian Science Fund

With an overall budget of more than €330 million, the Italian Science Fund supports emerging and established researchers with high-level fundamental research projects in all fields. The maximum duration of the projects is three years, offering new opportunities for advancing research in Italy.