Behind the Science

Armed with thermal scans, LIDAR imaging, architectural diagrams, and 36 years of accumulated research, Maurizio Seracini is spearheading a new effort to pinpoint the lost masterpiece. He'll have a tight deadline of only seven days, and his team will burn the candle at both ends to make sure everything is in place so that they don't lose a minute. Samantha Stout, graduate student in materials science and engineering, will be working on the scaffold in a materials lab designed to conduct on-site analysis using portable equipment. She is working with the rest of the team to plan the analytical survey and the instruments that will be used.