A week full of science, laboratory experiences, and personal insights: For the ninth time, BioNanoTec Week at TU Bergakademie Freiberg offered interested high school students the opportunity to learn about the Applied Natural Sciences degree program. From July 28 to August 1, 17 participants from all over Germany – including Berlin, Hamburg, Hesse, and Saxony – were able to get a taste of university life, engage intensively with current issues in the life sciences and physics, and gain inspiration for their career choices.

The focus was on the Applied Natural Sciences program, which combines a broad scientific education with application-oriented research. It teaches basic knowledge in the fields of biology, chemistry, and physics and places great emphasis on interdisciplinary thinking and solution strategies. Participants gained insights into current fields of research, were able to try their hand at practical experiments, and exchange ideas with scientists and alumni. “It is important to us to continuously develop this degree program,” emphasizes Professor Sabrina Hedrich, Dean of Studies for the subject. “The degree program was reformed in 2024 (Master's) and 2025 (Bachelor's). To this end, it underwent an internal quality management process involving both students and external experts from universities and professional practice.”  

The week kicked off with an introductory event to TU Bergakademie Freiberg by scientific organizer Dr. Tilmann Leisegang from the Institute of Experimental Physics and Dirk Damaschke from Public Relations. The Applied Natural Sciences degree program was presented by Dean of Studies Professor Sabrina Hedrich (Institute of Biosciences).  During the subsequent campus tour and visit to the terra mineralia mineralogical exhibition, the students were able to learn about Freiberg's connection between contemporary research and mining history. A tour of the Reiche Zeche mine, which included insights into the biosciences test facilities, rounded off the campus experience.

The lecture program was opened by Dr. Michel Oelschlägel from the Institute of Biosciences with a presentation on “The use of microorganisms and microbial components in applications – insights into our environmental microbiology and biotechnology.” Dr. Matthias Müller from the Institute of Applied Physics shed light on photovoltaics in his lecture “Solar cells under scrutiny – How much energy do they really generate from sunlight?”On Friday, Dr. Oelschlägel provided further insight into his research on “The use of genetic engineering methods for the development of multi-stage biotechnological synthesis processes – a practical example.” Afterwards, Professor Jens Kortus from the Institute of Theoretical Physics took the UN's “International Year of Quantum Science 2025” as an opportunity to introduce the students to the fascinating world of quantum mechanics with his lecture “In Search of Schrödinger's Cat.”

In the practical sessions, the young people were able to extract DNA from fruit, analyze water samples, and learn about various methods of material synthesis and material analysis, X-ray diffraction, photoluminescence, and Raman spectroscopy, as well as lithography in a clean room. In a creative workshop, they built their own spectroscopes, battery cells, and dye solar cells.

A special highlight was the alumni afternoon, where former students talked about their career paths in science and industry. Pizza and outdoor conversations created a relaxed atmosphere in which many questions about studying and career choices were answered.

The BioNanoTec Week was organized by Dr. Tilmann Leisegang with the support of Professor Sabrina Hedrich, the Department of Marketing and Student Counseling, Maike Baudach, Dirk Damaschke, and Russi Petkov, as well as many dedicated researchers from the fields of life sciences and physics. 

A heartfelt thank you to everyone involved—without them, this week would not have been possible.