INTEGRATE at the Swiss Snow Symposium 2026: young science in the Alps

On 15 January 2026, INTEGRATE was in the spotlight at the Swiss Snow Symposium 2026 in Saas-Almagell, an annual event organised by the Young Swiss Chemical Society that gathers early-career researchers for three days of science and networking in the Swiss Alps. Carolina Pierucci, researcher at the Adolphe Merkle Institute (AMI) and member of the INTEGRATE consortium, contributed with an oral presentation in this unique alpine setting, where cutting-edge chemistry meets informal exchanges among PhD students, postdocs and young group leaders.

Her talk, titled “Towards the development of an electric organ to power artificial muscles: block copolymer membranes for energy conversion”, presented ongoing work at the interface of bioinspired energy conversion, polymer membranes and artificial muscles. By leveraging block copolymer-based membranes that mimic some of the functions of biological tissues, this research explores how ion-selective, self-assembling materials can be used to generate and manage electrical signals for future soft actuators. This approach connects directly to INTEGRATE’s ambition to develop biointegrable soft actuators powered by metabolic energy, bridging fundamental membrane science with applications in next-generation artificial muscles and biomedical devices.

The Swiss Snow Symposium provides an ideal environment for young scientists to present their work, receive feedback and build new collaborations, combining lectures, short talks, poster sessions and social moments on the snow. Carolina’s participation illustrates how INTEGRATE is actively engaging with the next generation of researchers, contributing to forward-looking discussions on energy-autonomous, soft and bioinspired systems while strengthening links with the broader polymer science and materials communities.