Adrija De

Adrija De

Research Enthusiast || Mechanical Modelling || Additive Manufacturing

Summer Research Internship’22

This internship was funded by the prestigious IAS-INSA-NASI fellowship program to carry out research at CSIR-NIIST, Trivandrum, India, under the supervision of Dr. Saju Pillai, principal scientist at the Materials Science & Technology Division. My work was mainly based on analysing the effect of adding graphene oxide in colloidal photonic crystals (CPCs). It was my first lab experience after a long gap during the pandemic and also my first research experience at a national lab. Engaging in the synthesis of polymers and graphene, including graphene oxide, while gaining hands-on experience in reaction processes was an immensely rewarding endeavour. Proficiency in handling advanced analytical instruments such as FTIR and UV-VIS spectrometers, coupled with a deep understanding of their underlying principles, added significant value to my skillset.
Seeing my enthusiasm and interest in doing research, my supervisor further suggested developing an Android application to aid in an ongoing PhD project in the lab. I burnt the midnight oil, learnt a new language JAVA and managed to develop the application within two weeks. The developed app displayed the analyte(glucose) concentration according to the colour of the CPC. This logic was then applied to the humidity sensor work.
I thoroughly enjoyed the lab culture during my internship, where both my supervisor and fellow labmates provided exceptional support. The atmosphere was marked by a warm welcome to interdisciplinary research, fostering a collaborative and inclusive environment. Notably, the lab members managed to strike a commendable balance between their research commitments and personal well-being, resulting in a stress-free yet highly productive workspace. Our regular weekly meetings with the supervisor served as a platform for us to present our ongoing research progress. This experience significantly fueled my passion for a career in research and instilled in me the confidence to envision making substantial contributions to this field.