In my first experiment at the ESRF, during an internship, I was so impressed by the set-up and the atmosphere that I nearly missed the last tram home, which was at 1am… It was a taste of things to come! Fast forward 5 years and I’ve finished my PhD with INP Grenoble and the company Constellium on porosity of aluminium alloys in the aerospace industry and I am now starting my post-doctoral position as industrial liaison at the ESRF in nanotomography.
Studies at the nanoscale are a true challenge due to the size: I have spent all day today just to fix a sample on a capillary! But it is rewarding to know that there is a direct application of my work and that characterization of samples is important for industrial clients. I am looking forward to working in very different topics and samples and to meet our clients. The fact that this is the first 4th generation, high-energy synchrotron source means we are still not fully aware of the possibilities of the machine. It is very exciting to be a part of this quest to push the boundaries of knowledge.