Recanati's Liceo Leopardi wins the tenth edition of Mad for Science

The Giacomo Leopardi scientific high school in Recanati won the tenth edition of Mad for Science and was awarded 75 thousand euros. Second place went to the technical institute Grazia Deledda of Lecce, which was awarded 45 thousand euros, while third place went to the scientific high school Ignazio Vian of Anguillara Sabazia, which was awarded 30 thousand euros. The other five finalist schools each received a contribution of EUR 10,000 to strengthen their science laboratories.

These are the prize-winners of the tenth edition of the Mad for Science national competition, promoted by the Diasorin ETS Foundation, which for ten years has accompanied schools, teachers and students on a path dedicated to scientific culture, experimentation and innovation, whose final stage was held at the Roman Aquarium, for the first time in Rome.

Winning the first prize of the tenth edition was the Liceo Scientifico Giacomo Leopardi from Recanati (MC), with the project 'RootNet: Innovative Mycorrhizal Networks from Circular Economy for the Agriculture of the Future'. The winning team, made up of students Andrew Antognini, Cristian Alfonso Esposito, Caterina Giaconi, Giorgio Mancini and Alessandro Travaglia, coordinated by Lucia Galassi, won a grant worth 75,000 euros to upgrade the school's science laboratory. Second place went to the Istituto Tecnico Tecnologico Grazia Deledda in Lecce, with the project 'Chromagenesis: Molecular Farming where genes become colour. From the roots of tradition to the bioreactors of the future', awarded 45 thousand euros. The third prize of 30 thousand euros was awarded to the Liceo Scientifico Ignazio Vian of Anguillara Sabazia (RM), with the project 'Medical Fish Waste'.

The following also received the Finalists' Prize worth 10,000 euros each, to be used to upgrade their respective science laboratories the Istituto Tecnico Tecnologico Cassandro Fermi Nervi of Barletta (BT), the Istituto Tecnico Tecnologico Zaccagna-Galilei of Carrara (MS), the Liceo Scientifico Corradino D'Ascanio of Montesilvano (PE), the Liceo Scientifico Sant'Anna of Turin and the Istituto Tecnico Tecnologico Giovanni Caramuel of Vigevano (PV), confirming the level of excellence achieved by all the finalist institutes.

The Mad for Science 2026 Challenge saw the eight best institutes selected nationwide compete on the theme 'Natural Resources and Health. How biotechnological research helps us safeguard people and the environment', with projects that combined creativity, scientific rigour and practical application.