Papers Illuminated - Člankarnica

Kemijski inštitut

In the podcast Papers Illuminated – Člankarnica, we bring you fascinating and accessible insights into the latest discoveries from researchers at the National Institute of Chemistry, featured in leading scientific journals. Our mission is to make dense scientific reading a thing of the past. So sit back with your favorite drink as we share a wealth of fresh knowledge, offering you a glimpse into the inner workings of groundbreaking research and the thrilling adventures behind each discovery. Tune in monthly for your dose of scientific enlightenment, hosted by Dr. Saša Aden.

  1. #23: Behind the Science of Turning Waste to Bio-based Chemicals - Maja Gabrič

    17 May

    #23: Behind the Science of Turning Waste to Bio-based Chemicals - Maja Gabrič

    Did you know that a byproduct of biodiesel production can be transformed into a key ingredient for paints, coatings, and even acrylic nails? In this episode of Papers Illuminated – Člankarnica, we sit down with Maja Gabrič from the Department of Catalysis and Chemical Reaction Engineering (National Institute of Chemistry) to discuss how innovative catalysts are turning waste glycerol into valuable, bio-based acrylic acid. We dive deep into their latest research published in the journal Carbon, focusing on how the structure of carbon supports, often seen as "invisible" players in catalysis, actually dictates the success of the entire chemical reaction. In this episode, we discuss: The Big Picture: Why shifting from fossil-fuel-based production to sustainable, bio-based chemicals is a necessity for the industry.From Waste to Everyday life: The chemical journey from waste oil to the acrylic acid, that is used in everyday, for example in paints, textiles and personal care.The "Invisible" Game Changer: Why the choice of carbon support (from activated carbon to nanotubes) makes or breaks the catalyst's performance.The Breakthrough: How Maja’s team achieved up to 83% selectivity using specific mesoporous carbon supports, while others remained almost inactive.Future Frontiers: The challenge of catalyst leaching and Maja’s "dream experiment"—monitoring rhenium’s oxidation states in real-time (operando) under high pressure and temperature.Join us for a fascinating look at how fundamental chemistry is solving global sustainability challenges one molecule at a time. Paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0008622326000187

    15 min
  2. #22: 80 let znanosti Kemijskega inštituta – prof. dr. Venčeslav Kaučič

    17 Apr

    #22: 80 let znanosti Kemijskega inštituta – prof. dr. Venčeslav Kaučič

    Ob 80-letnici Kemijskega inštituta se v posebni epizodi podkasta Papers Illuminated - Člankarnica ne posvečamo le suhoparnim številkam, temveč zgodbam, ki so gradile slovensko znanost. Naš gost je akademik prof. dr. Venčeslav Kaučič, ki je skozi desetletja soustvarjal njegovo pot. V pogovoru se vračamo v 70. in 80. leta, ko je bil ritem raziskovanja drugačen, oprema pa nepredstavljiva za današnje standarde. Ali je bila znanost nekoč bolj premišljena ali gre le za nostalgijo? Kako se je spremenil položaj slovenskega raziskovalca v tujini in kateri tehnološki preskok je profesorja najbolj presunil? Pridružite se nam pri raziskovanju preteklosti, ki je tlakovala pot sodobnim odkritjem, in prisluhnite razmišljanju o tem, kaj Kemijski inštitut definira danes – po osmih desetletjih premikanja meja.

    1hr 9min
  3. #21: Shining Light on CO₂ Conversion - Petar Djinović & Miha Okorn

    13 Mar

    #21: Shining Light on CO₂ Conversion - Petar Djinović & Miha Okorn

    In this episode of Papers Illuminated – Člankarnica we are joined by researchers Petar Djinović and Miha Okorn from the Laboratory for Catalysis at the National Institute of Chemistry. Together they explore an intriguing question: can visible light help convert carbon dioxide into something useful? Their recent research shows how light can accelerate the catalytic conversion of CO₂ into carbon monoxide (CO), an important building block used in the chemical industry to produce fuels and chemicals. By combining heat and visible light in a process called photothermal catalysis, the team discovered that reactions can run faster and potentially more efficiently. But the story is not as simple as shining a light on a catalyst. Sometimes light helps and sometimes it actually makes the reaction worse. In this conversation, Petar and Miha explain how unexpected experimental results led them to rethink their assumptions, redesign their catalysts, and uncover the mechanisms behind light-assisted chemistry. The episode also dives into the experimental side of research: special light sources, sunglasses in the lab, catalytic materials and advanced techniques that allow scientists to observe catalytic reactions while they are happening. What you’ll learn in this episode: Why converting CO₂ into CO matters for industry and the carbon cycleHow visible light can accelerate catalytic reactionsWhy experiments sometimes produce the opposite of what scientists expectWhat it takes to study chemical reactions in real timeHow new catalysts can make reactions more energy-efficientIf you’re curious about how catalysis, energy, and light intersect and how fundamental research can open new technological possibilities this episode is for you. 🔬 Read the papers: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1385894725125291?via=ihub https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cey2.70102 __________ In the Papers Illuminated - Člankarnica podcast, together with researchers from the National Institute of Chemistry, we present interesting and accessible explanations of their latest discoveries, published in prestigious scientific journals. We invite you to follow us on social media and send us your questions, comments, and suggestions. https://www.ki.si/o-institutu/podkast/clankarnica/

    24 min
  4. #20: What makes some RNA more sticky than others? - Tajda Klobučar & Jona Novljan

    18 Feb

    #20: What makes some RNA more sticky than others? - Tajda Klobučar & Jona Novljan

    In this episode of Papers Illuminated – Člankarnica, we explore a new study revealing a hidden layer of cellular organization. Researchers Tajda Klobučar and Jona Novljan describe a newly identified class of “sticky” RNAs and the features that make them prone to condensation. These RNA networks can act like liquid command centers, helping cells organize reactions without physical walls. We discuss how these condensates form, why they matter for health and disease, and what this discovery means for our understanding of how cells build order out of chaos — plus plenty of behind-the-scenes stories from the research itself. 🔬 Read the paper: https://www.cell.com/cell-genomics/fulltext/S2666-979X(25)00321-0

    27 min
  5. #19: The Molecular Battles That Shape Our Food Supply - Nika Žibrat Kalanj

    16 Jan

    #19: The Molecular Battles That Shape Our Food Supply - Nika Žibrat Kalanj

    In the latest episode of Papers Illuminated – Člankarnica, we are joined by Nika Žibrat Kalanj from the National Institute of Chemistry, who takes us into the fascinating world of plant cells, membranes, and surprisingly clever microbial proteins. We start with the basics of what a cell membrane is and why it is much more than just a passive barrier. It’s a highly selective filter that protects the cell and controls what gets in and out. Nika explains how certain toxic proteins released into the environment by plant pathogens recognize these membranes, latch onto specific lipids, and ultimately damage plant cells. Along the way, we explore why some of these proteins are unusually flexible, allowing them to attack a wide range of plants, and how even small differences in membrane composition can have big biological consequences. The episode also offers a behind-the-scenes look at real research life, from extracting lipids directly from vegetables to navigating long periods of failed experiments before everything finally clicks. We place these discoveries into a broader context, discussing why plant research is often overlooked, how plant diseases threaten global food production, and why understanding membrane biology at the molecular level matters for the future of agriculture. An episode for anyone curious about the hidden battles at the surface of cells and why they matter far beyond the lab. 🔬 Read the paper: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adw6401 __________ In the Papers Illuminated - Člankarnica podcast, together with researchers from the National Institute of Chemistry, we present interesting and accessible explanations of their latest discoveries, published in prestigious scientific journals. We invite you to follow us on social media and send us your questions, comments, and suggestions. https://www.ki.si/o-institutu/podkast/clankarnica/

    28 min
  6. #18: How Cells Sense Danger - Elvira Boršič Mlinarič

    17/12/2025

    #18: How Cells Sense Danger - Elvira Boršič Mlinarič

    IIn the latest episode of Papers Illuminated – Člankarnica we are joined by Elvira Boršič Mlinarič, who walks us through her recently published paper on NLRP3 inflammasome activation. We talk about how immune sensors detect danger in the cell, why where proteins gather can matter as much as what they sense, and how clustering on membranes or protein scaffolds triggers inflammatory responses. Together, we unpack complex molecular immunology concepts and place them into a broader biological and biomedical context, from fundamental mechanisms to disease relevance. An episode for anyone curious about how cells recognize trouble and respond. 🔬 Read the paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-60277-4 __________ In the Papers Illuminated - Člankarnica podcast, together with researchers from the National Institute of Chemistry, we present interesting and accessible explanations of their latest discoveries, published in prestigious scientific journals. We invite you to follow us on social media and send us your questions, comments, and suggestions. https://www.ki.si/o-institutu/podkast/clankarnica/

    28 min
  7. #17: Modeling Microbubbles and Gas Vesicles - Tilen Potisk

    21/11/2025

    #17: Modeling Microbubbles and Gas Vesicles - Tilen Potisk

    In this episode of Papers Illuminated – Člankarnica, we talk with Tilen Potisk, co-author of a cutting-edge paper that develops advanced particle-based models for microbubbles and nanoscale gas vesicles, two of the most important structures used in modern biomedical ultrasound. Tilen walks us through why encapsulated microbubbles and protein-based gas vesicles matter for imaging and drug delivery, what distinguishes them, and why modeling their mechanical behavior has been so challenging until now. This conversation opens up the nanoscale world behind ultrasound contrast agents and highlights how physics-based simulations can guide the design of next-generation therapeutic carriers. If you’re interested in soft matter physics, biomedicine, modeling, or simply enjoy clear explanations of complex science, you’ll love this episode. 🔬 Read the paper: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsanm.5c02783 __________ In the Papers Illuminated - Člankarnica podcast, together with researchers from the National Institute of Chemistry, we present interesting and accessible explanations of their latest discoveries, published in prestigious scientific journals. We invite you to follow us on social media and send us your questions, comments, and suggestions. https://www.ki.si/o-institutu/podkast/clankarnica/

    20 min
  8. #16: A New Catalyst Platform for Green Hydrogen - Milutin Smiljanić

    17/10/2025

    #16: A New Catalyst Platform for Green Hydrogen - Milutin Smiljanić

    What if a key breakthrough for affordable green hydrogen was sitting in a lab drawer for years, just waiting for the right team to discover it? In this episode of Papers Illuminated, we're joined by Dr. Milutin Smiljanić from the National Institute of Chemistry to explore his team's groundbreaking research on a new catalyst platform that could significantly reduce the cost of producing green hydrogen. We dive into two of their recent papers, published in ACS Catalysis and the Chemical Engineering Journal, which detail how they engineered a solution by combining ruthenium—a much cheaper alternative to platinum—with a unique titanium oxynitride support. Their work creates a highly efficient and durable catalyst for splitting water. 🔬 Read the studies: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1385894725050399 https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acscatal.5c02831 __________ In the Papers Illuminated - Člankarnica podcast, together with researchers from the National Institute of Chemistry, we present interesting and accessible explanations of their latest discoveries, published in prestigious scientific journals. We invite you to follow us on social media and send us your questions, comments, and suggestions. https://www.ki.si/o-institutu/podkast/clankarnica/

    24 min
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About

In the podcast Papers Illuminated – Člankarnica, we bring you fascinating and accessible insights into the latest discoveries from researchers at the National Institute of Chemistry, featured in leading scientific journals. Our mission is to make dense scientific reading a thing of the past. So sit back with your favorite drink as we share a wealth of fresh knowledge, offering you a glimpse into the inner workings of groundbreaking research and the thrilling adventures behind each discovery. Tune in monthly for your dose of scientific enlightenment, hosted by Dr. Saša Aden.

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