The 17th scientific session “Young Scientists in the World of Polymers” was held on June 4, 2026, at the Institute of Polymers – BAS. It is organized annually in June by the Institute of Polymers – BAS and provides a platform for young scientists, students, doctoral candidates, and postdoctoral researchers engaged in scientific research in the field of polymers and other scientific areas involving the study and application of polymer materials. This year, 5 oral presentations and 23 poster presentations were delivered by participants from the Institute of Polymers – BAS, the Institute of Organic Chemistry with Center of Phytochemistry – BAS, the “Stephan Angeloff” Institute of Microbiology – BAS, Sofia Medical University, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski,” and the University of Chemical Technology and [...]

  Scientists from the Institute of Electronics at BAS today demonstrated prototypes of sensors designed to measure pesticide and nitrate levels in water and nitrogen dioxide levels in the air. Among the researchers’ latest developments are self-cleaning surfaces for photovoltaic panels. The three innovations are in the field of green technologies, and Bulgarian companies have already expressed interest in utilizing them. The demonstrations were held as part of the “Laser methods for developments of sensors and self-cleaning surfaces” project funded with approximately 500,000 leva from the Recovery and Resilience Facility. As part of the project, a scanning electron microscope was also purchased which would allow scientists to study the structure of the new coatings and materials they were developing. Environmentally friendly lasers have been used [...]

  Anna Prancheva from the Institute of Polymers at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences is the winner of the Union of Bulgarian Chemists’ Award for “Outstanding Young Scientist in the Field of Polymers”, named after Prof. Ivan Shopov. for 2026. At an official ceremony held on March 4 in the conference hall of the Institute of Polymers, the award was presented by the founder of the award, Prof. Ivan Shopov, and the chairman of the Union of Chemists in Bulgaria, Prof. Venko Beshkov. This year marked the 23rd edition of the competition. Anna Prancheva participated in the current competition with a scientific article published in 2025 in the prestigious Journal of Polymer Science. The publication, entitled “Hyaluronic Acid-Coated Complexes of Cationic Polymeric Micelles and Serratiopeptidase [...]

On January 13, Assoc. Prof. Ekaterina Yordanova, Director of the Institute of Solid State Physics at BAS, delivered the first public lecture for 2026 in “The World of Physics – Live” lecture series at the American Center in the Sofia City Library. The popular science lecture on “Laser-induced nuclear fusion – a new physical paradigm” which marks the beginning of the second decade of the lecture series, attracted the attention of the physics community in Bulgaria, representatives of various physics fields, and the general public. Assoc. Prof. Yordanova, head of the Bulgarian project for the construction and validation of a laboratory prototype for laser-induced controlled nuclear fusion funded by the Ministry of Innovation and Growth under the “Scientific Research, Innovation and Digitization for Smart Transformation” [...]

Sensors for measuring air and water pollution and self-cleaning surfaces for photovoltaic panels are being developed by scientists from the Institute of Electronics at BAS as part of a project funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The results of the research, obtained with the help of laser technologies, were presented at the “Science and Practice in Innovative Materials and Green Technologies for Sustainable Development” forum which took place on November 5 and 6 in Sofia. Initial experiments have shown that the sensors are a reliable method for analyzing water and beverages. They react to contaminants, are easy to manufacture, and are suitable for repeated use. A femtosecond laser is used to create new materials that are suitable for removing dust and water deposits [...]