• PROGRAMME
• SYNOPSES
• JURY
• AWARDS
• CALL FOR ENTRIES

Behind the Science

1. Author: Luca Citron
2. Director: Luca Citron
3. Scientific Advisor: Elena Cattaneo (Direttore del Centro di Ricerca sulle Cellule Staminali dell’Università degli Studi di Milano/Director of the Stem Cells Research Center of the University of Milan)
4. Editor: Emiliana Poce
5. Photography: Luca Citron, Umberto Ravera
6. Music: Moby, Music Media Sonoton
7. Sound: Simone Abarno
8. Production: CTU - Università degli Studi di Milano
9. Italy
10. 35 min.
11. 2011

The successful outcome of a research project depends on the effective interaction of a variety of factors, including non-scientific ones: institutions, laboratories, companies, scientists, managers, communication media… Doing science today also calls for new ways of thinking and acting, new ways to disclose the outcomes of research, new forms of public involvement to enhance consensus and the belief that investing in research means improving knowledge.
The documentary shows the professional skills required of a scientist to perform even just one lab test, explains the innovative approach of the new “scientist-manager” figure to research, shows the main mechanisms of a research project funded by the European Union and the instruments used to manage it, and provides a few examples of how the results can be disclosed to those that fund and receive benefits from scientific research, namely the European citizens.
The story is told using a few examples of successful international networks in the field of research on stem cells, involving the Milan State University as a major player: Estools, Neurostemcell, Eurostemcell, EuroSystem, Optistem. It is a journey across Europe, from Italy to Portugal to the UK through Brussels, in one of the most innovative areas of modern research.