Polymer Science Podcast: Recent Episodes
Alicia Botes
This podcast will be discussing scientific studies with various researchers from around the world in the Chemistry and Polymer Science fields. We will be bringing current research to your attention that can influence and improve the quality of our daily lives.
We are your hosts, Dr Alicia Botes and Jacob Schekman. Alicia have received her PhD in Chemistry and Polymer Science at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa and is currently working as an Electron Microscope analyst at the Central Analytical Facility. Jacob is a PhD candidate in Polymer Engineering at the University of Southern Mississippi, United States of America.
Please feel free to connect with us! You can send comments as well as any questions to polymersciencepodcast@gmail.com
Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast and leave a review. Hope you enjoy!
Today we listen to Julia Wright, who is a fascinating and unique guest to have on our show! In this episode we learn all about the Loom and what goes into the art of weaving.
She is a contemporary textile artist and engineer currently based in Ithaca, NY while working in the biomedical textile engineering field. She received her Bachelors in Fine Arts for Textiles with a focus on weaving from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2016 and is currently giving artist talks, demonstrations, and doing exhibitions with her wonderful woven art.
https://amadeusmag.com/blog/julia-wright-weaving-cosidered-work/
https://www.julia--wright.com/
Hope you enjoy!
In this interview from November 2022, Dr. Frank Leibfarth discusses the exciting research coming from his group. Dr. Leibfarth cultivated a passion for organic synthetic polymer chemistry, and utilizes his many talents and excellent leadership to guide his group toward the production of sustainable polymer materials.
Papers discussed in this interview:
"Diversification of Aliphatic C-H Bonds in Small Molecules and Polyolefins through Radical Chain Transfer"
For those interested in learning more, please reach out to us at PolymerSciencePodcast@gmail.com
We are back! Again! Much has changed since I've last been able to post an episode, but the wonders of polymer science continue propagating!
In this interview we hear from Dr. Kevin Wyss, who earned his PhD during August of 2023 from Rice University. Dr. Wyss has since taken his incredible talents with him to Schlumberger, advancing the frontier of sustainable materials. Tune in to the show to learn more about polymer upcycling, graphene generation through flash-joule heating, and the significance of life-cycle assessment when generating novel materials.
Do you have any questions, comments, or feedback for the show? Please reach out to us at PolymerSciencePodcast@gmail.com
In this episode, we listen to Joe Mwakiremba, a hardworking and passionate sales representative for Ocean Sole in Kenya, talk about how they are upcycling trashed flip-flop while simultaneously cleaning up the environment and creating stable jobs for many people. Check out these links to YouTube and watch these flip-flops being turned into amazing sculptures!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK-BHZs7GxE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZV9J62Z2Vk
If you want to support this project for your business or simply have a uniquely stunning art piece in your home, check out this link to their website:
https://oceansole.com/pages/our-impact
You can find Joe via LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joemama/
Hope you enjoy the episode!
Today I spoke to Dr Mapula about patents, polymers in wound healing treatment, medicinal plants and empowering women in science particularly in Africa. She is a warm, kind and self driven biomedical researcher and entrepreneur with comprehensive accomplishment in clinical research and tissue engineering.
Please check her page on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-mapula-razwinani-17ba6655/
And see her award as L’Oréal-UNESCO FWIS South Africa National Young Talent 2023:
https://www.dut.ac.za/duts-dr-mapula-razwinani-recognised-as-one-of-the-phenomenal-women-scientists/
UNSECO:
https://www.unesco.org/en/prizes/women-science
You can read more about her work here:
https://www.scitcentral.com/article.php?journal=55&article=1218&article_title=The%20Effects%20of%20Pleurostylia%20capensis%20Crude%20Extracts%20on%20the%20Chondrogenic%20Differentiation%20of%20Porcine%20Adipose-Derived%20Mesenchymal%20Stem%20Cells
Dr. Boran “Bo” Ma established the Ma Research Lab in January 2023 in the School of Polymer Science and Engineering at the University of Southern Mississippi. Prior to joining the SPSE, Dr. Bo was a postdoctoral associate at Duke University. She received her PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from Northwestern University in 2019 and her BEng in Materials Science and Engineering from Harbin Institute of Technology in 2014. Now the Ma Research Lab focuses on multiscale computational modeling and simulation of polymeric material systems for energy and sustainability applications.
Ma Research Lab webpage: https://www.maresearchlab.com/
Today we are talking to Gregory Parisi about harvesting water in variable humidity conditions studying specifically the wetting properties of electrospun polymer materials. Gregory is a PhD student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and worked as a Fulbright fellow at the AGH-UST Faculty of Metals Engineering and Industrial Computer Science in Poland with Urszula Stachewicz, a previous guest on our show.
Please see the link below to the study group that he joined in Poland:
http://www.tem.agh.edu.pl/main_new/index.php/en/41-pracownicy/38-dr-eng-urszula-stachewicz
Hope you enjoy this episode!
Alicia
In this episode we talk to Adam Hecht, Co-Founder, Designer and Director of Additive Manufacturing at DiveDesign. He tells us more about what goes into running a 3D company and all the products that they are currently making. He also have some amazing collaborations and interesting projects, from turning trash from the ocean into furniture to helping disabled ducks, dogs and even a Elephant!
Hope you enjoy the conversation!
Here are the links mentioned in the show:
https://www.divedesignco.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-hecht-b55959104/
https://www.instagram.com/divedesignco/?hl=en
Let us know what you think of this episode and share if you enjoyed it!
In this episode we listen to Dr Aurelien Forget talk about his work and research interests. He also shares details about a fun and educative card game that he developed called Macromolecular Games: A Free Radical Polymerization Card Game. This card game is made for anyone that wish to understand polymerization and can even be customized with you own logo or tag that you would like displayed on the cards (great for companies and Universities).
The aim of this game is to form polymer chains with the higher molecular weight. Only terminated polymer chains are counted.
The set is composed of two card decks each with 55 cards. The decks contain four monomers, four special cards: copolymer, termination, SFRP and CTA. It can be played competitively with friends, colleagues or family (with no Polymer Science Background)!
Learn more by visiting this link:
https://www.forgetlab.com/dr-aurelien-forget-1
You also a get a special 10% discount code for your support to this podcast:
https://macromolecular-games.myshopify.com/discount/polymersciencepodcast10?redirect=%2Fproducts%2Ffree-radical-polymerization-card-game
We would love to know what you think about the game, so please leave a comment if you have played it! And share this episode if you like it!
Dr. Tristan Clemons is an Assistant Professor at the University of Southern Mississippi. Dr. Clemons established his lab at USM in 2021 and quickly started exciting research in Soft Matter Science. The Clemons group is multidisciplinary in nature, firmly embedded at the intersection of chemistry, biology, and engineering. His research efforts are aimed at the interface of synthetic and biological molecular self-assembly to provide new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of disease and injury.
Clemons Lab Webpage: https://www.clemonslab.com/
“Proapoptotic Peptide Brush Polymer Nanoparticles via Photoinitiated Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly”
Link (please contact us via email if you don’t have access to this paper):
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/anie.202006385
Any questions or comments for the Polymer Podcast crew? Please feel free to reach out to us!
PolymerSciencePodcast@gmail.com
Dr. Katrina Knauer is the Chief Technology Officer of the BOTTLE Consortium at the National Renewable Energy Laboratories near Denver, Colorado. BOTTLE (Bio-Optimized Technologies to keep Thermoplastics out of Landfills and the Environment) is a U.S. Department of Energy multi-organization consortium focused on developing new chemical upcycling strategies for today's plastics and redesigning tomorrow's plastics to be recyclable-by-design.
Publications related to PHA discussion with Dr. Knauer:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ange.201916415
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.macromol.0c02110
All BOTTLE publications:
https://www.bottle.org/publications.html
Any comments or questions? Please reach out to us!
PolymerSciencePodcast@gmail.com
Dr. Barney Grubbs discusses with Jacob the importance of controllably degradable polymers and their significance in improving material sustainability. Dr. Grubbs also talks about his academic journey, taking us all around the United States as he shares his exciting research!
The Grubbs research group investigates questions addressing the common ground shared by polymer, organic, and materials chemistry. Guided by physics, theory, and engineering, they design, synthesize, and characterize polymer materials.
Any questions for Alicia and Jacob? They would love for you to reach out! Contact them at: PolymerSciencePodcast@gmail.com
Grubbs Research Group: https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/chemistry/faculty/_faculty-profiles/grubbs-barney
Link to paper* (Amine-Catalyzed Chain Polymerization of Ethyl Glyoxylate from Alcohol and Thiol Initiators): https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsmacrolett.0c00865
*If you cannot access the linked journal article, contact Dr. Grubbs via email to politely ask for a copy of the paper -->robert.grubbs@stonybrook.edu
Ingmar Van Hengel is a PhD candidate at Delft University in Biomedical Engineering. He also has a mind for business when he created his first startup company called SkinPrint for the treatment of burn wounds using bioprinting to develop skin using the patient's cells and biocompatible natural polymer materials. He then shifted his focus to developing multifunctional 3D implants for orthopedic patients that are longer lasting and can combat bacterial infections. He has continued to grow his expertise in the Digital health field and was a business analyst for PatchAI, which develops intelligent digital health engagement solutions for decentralized clinical studies. He is now working with Alira Health in gathering data and doing research that can contribute greatly to the overall health of the society.
https://alirahealth.com/ https://www.patchai.io/news/author/ingmar-van-hengel Some more links:
- Short movie about Skinprint: https://youtu.be/2C3aFV8V8k4
- Publication skin printing: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/20417314221088513
- PhD research on 3D printed orthopedic implants: https://www.materialstoday.com/metals-alloys/news/new-titanium-implants-could-last-a-lifetime/
- Short movie about digital health (Patchai): https://youtu.be/hQ9up3nGytk
Dr. Brooks Abel is an assistant professor at the University of California, Berkeley, where the Abel group conducts research at the interfaces of polymer organic chemistry, catalysis, and materials science. Dr. Brooks and his group pursue application-driven polymer chemistry, where the desired chemical identity, physical properties, and end-use of the polymer materials are used to guide the development of new polymerization methods. They also follow a methodology approach to discovering new polymerization reactions to push the field of polymer chemistry towards previously unobtainable control over polymer microstructure, architecture, and functionality.
Including the incredible research Dr. Abel has performed throughout his career, this episode focuses on new methods and materials designed to improve the recyclability of plastic materials. Tune in now to learn more!
Video reference of plastic being broken down into its starting ingredients: https://youtu.be/e_195DD-r2k
Today we are talking to Dr Laura Frazier, Chief Scientist of TaikiUSA, and Dr Megan Coates, R&D manager at the Stellenbosch Nanofiber Company, about their collaboration and creation of Bōshi Beauty nanofiber-based product line.
Stellenbosch Nanofiber Company has been developing nanofiber-based products, including advanced wound dressings, tissue engineering scaffolds and cosmetic products. TaikiUSA is a global leader in skincare and makeup tools.
Megan received her PhD in Chemistry at the Rhodes University in South Africa and have been working at the SNC for over 8 years as Research and Development manager. Laura received her PhD in Chemistry at the University of Akron in the USA and have worked as Director at the SNS Nanofiber Technology company, an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Malone University, a program leader at Owens Corning and now as chief scientist at TaikiUSA.
www.taikibeauty.com www.sncfibers.com
Hello everyone!
Alicia, here! So at the time of this recording I am approximately 38 weeks pregnant and a little sick as you could probably tell from my voice.
This means that I am now on maternity leave while you are listening to this episode and taking care of our newborn!
Nonetheless the show goes on! And I am happy to say that our Podcast team has grown. You will be introduced to our new co-host soon!
In this episode, we are speaking to Zininzi Mpafa, a Laboratory Analyst at Clariter. She is an experience scientist in the Petrochemical industry and Environment industry (Ocean and Coastal Research). She studied at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology and Walter Sisulu University in Analytical Chemistry. She also did internships as quality testing analyst at Engen and as a Marine Chemist at the Department of Environmental Affairs. She is currently working at the global cleantech company, Clariter, that focuses on upcycling plastic waste into the high-value, pure solvents, oils and waxes.
As promised here are the links to the articles and research mentioned in the episode!
Hope you find it useful!
https://clariter.com/news/
www.teijinaramid.com
Thank you for listening and for your support!
In this episode we hear from Dr. Benjamin Alameda, a brand new PhD graduate from the University of Southern Mississippi. Dr. Alameda specializes in the design, fabrication, and characterization of polymer networks that degrade in the presence of different external stimuli. As we continue to mold the future of plastics toward more environmentally friendly designs, we need to consider the "cradle-to-grave approach" - that is, designing a polymer material with consideration of the final product's full lifecycle. Imagine tires that can be fully broken down and recycled after several years of use!
Please contact us with any questions or comments at polymersciencepodcast@gmail.com
In this episode we hear from Dr. Christoph Herfurth, a researcher from Fraunhofer. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft based in Germany is the world’s leading applied research organization. Prioritizing key future-relevant technologies and commercializing its findings in business and industry, it plays a major role in the innovation process. A trailblazer and trendsetter in innovative developments and research excellence, it is helping shape our society and our future. Founded in 1949, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft currently operates 76 institutes and research units throughout Germany. Over 30,000 employees, predominantly scientists and engineers, work with an annual research budget of €2.9 billion. Fraunhofer generates €2.5 billion of this from contract research.
Let us know what you think at polymersciencepodcast@gmail.com
In this episode we are talking to Tshepo Mangoele, CEO and Founder of LignOrganic (PTY) Ltd. This company is the first in Africa to produce Sulphur-free Lignin, a natural polymer with endless possibilities and applications!
Tshepo is a Chemical Engineer with a vision to make environmentally-friendly biomaterials and sustainable products the new normal in markets for cosmetics, packaging, agriculture and biomaterials.
We also get to learn more from him about how it feels to start one's own company and the challenges that come along with such a fulfilling endeavor. I hope you enjoy listening to this inspiring and informative conversation!
Learn more about Lignin here:
https://lignorganic.co.za/
And as promised, check out the affordable and clean skincare range launching soon:
https://ophyll.co.za/
Thank you for listening!
Hello and welcome, everyone, to the Polymer Science Podcast's last episode for 2021!
In this episode we’ll be listening to my interview with Dr. Hyunwoo Yuk, an outstanding research scientist of mechanical and biomedical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I reached out to Dr. Yuk after finding his work on the development of a particularly interesting surgical glue – this glue can close and COMPLETELY seal an open wound in seconds… SECONDS! And the way they came up with this idea is absolutely barnacles… no really, the whole project was actually inspired by sea barnacles! Mother Nature has always been a powerful inspiration for scientific progress, so when Dr. Yuk and his team were tasked with designing a surgical glue that could surpass existing products, they recognized the robustly “sticky” nature of barnacles could provide valuable insight toward their cause. Tune in now to learn about how Dr. Yuk was able to accomplish this incredible task."
Link to article: https://www.wired.com/story/this-barnacle-inspired-glue-seals-bleeding-organs-in-seconds/
Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy new Year!
Thank you for listening
My co-host Jacob Sheckman and I had our very first interview as a duo! Together we had a very enlightening conversation with Dr Monika Snowdon about her PhD work, the projects she is currently busy with, and we learned more about her very own Podcast show, called the IMNano podcast, which she hosts with her co-host, Irfani!
Monika obtained her doctorate in chemistry from the University of Waterloo. Part of her doctoral research was pursued at the National Institute for Material Science in Japan at the soft materials chemistry group under the supervision of Dr. Dai-Ming Tang. She is passionate about making nanoscience and technology more accessible to a wider audience; this drive led to the creation of the nanotechnology podcast which is all about translating cutting-edge research and its applications to society.
Please follow the links below to find out more about Monica and her work:
Podcast Website: https://www.imnano.org/about
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monikasnow/
Thank you for listening!
In this episode, Dr. Pojman talks with Jacob about the unique reaction properties of frontal polymerization and the serendipity within his research that led to his production and international distribution of Quick Cure Clay. Under the name Pojman Polymer Products, Dr. Pojman’s company produces the most durable and easy-to-work-with clay art on the market. No mixing, no kiln… just mold and heat a part of your beautiful sculpture to begin the cure process, wait a few minutes a then get to painting! Dr. John Pojman is also a professor of chemistry at Louisiana State University. Tune in now for a fun conversation on polymers in art and some fascinating lessons in art history.
Please click on these links to find out more:
Pojman Polymer Products: http://pojman.com/3pllc/3pllc.html
Examples of artist’s creations using Pojman’s “Quick-cure clay”: https://rangerink.com/blogs/projects/tagged/quickcure-clay
A brief how-to on working with “Quick-cure clay” https://rangerink.com/blogs/blog/ranger-101-quickcure-clay
Thank you for listening!
Today is a special episode where I catch up with an old Stellenbosch University colleague of mine, Dr Jacquin October. He is a very impressive and dedicated Postdoctoral Researcher at Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion. We talked about his move from South Africa to Germany and what that entails. We also discussed the applications and necessity for studies from his previous Ph.D. work concerning Alkylation of amines and the synthesis and characterization of novel rhodium and ruthenium-based iminopyridyl complexes.
You can learn more about his work in the links below:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquin-october-9462b1b1/
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jacquin-October
https://www.cec.mpg.de/de/mpi-fuer-chemische-energiekonversion
Thank you for listening!!
It is a week after the Closing Ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games, and it is amazing to be able to reflect on the revolutionary technology that we currently have available due to the dedicated mechanical engineers and scientists that are focusing their efforts on providing sustainable and convenient tools to improve society. In Japan, we saw the effective use of bullet trains for quick transport between stadiums, multilingual robotic guides and security guards. The Olympic medals were made of recycled laptops and other electronic devices while self-steering cars have been giving the competitors lifts to their destinations. Viewers even got to see the amazing performances of our athletes from every angle with advanced 3D video capturing technology.
It is therefor only fitting that we are talking to Mechanical Engineering Professor, James Pikul, in this episode about designing metallic wood and the interesting roles that polymers play in improving technology and studies in the Mechanical Engineering field.
James Pikul is an Assistant Professor and a Moore Inventor Fellow in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics from the University of Pennsylvania. He is the lead of the Pikul Research Group and seeks to make transformative advances in energy storage, energy conversion, multifunctional materials, and robotics by understanding and exploiting nanoscale to macroscopic characteristics of electrochemistry and soft matter.
He graduated at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where he worked on fabricating high power microbatteries and high strength cellular metals. He received a 2020 Moore Inventor Fellowship as well as a 2020 Toyota Programmable System Innovation Fellowship and several awards for his research.
You can find out more about him by following this link:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-pikul-25905a13/
Hope you enjoy!
Dr Maliha Syed studied at the University of Mississippi and graduated with her PhD in Polymer Science and Engineering. She is a Principle Scientist for the company called Avlon which focuses on synergizing health, beauty, and polymer science to provide skincare solutions that enhance consumer wellness. Maliha talks to us about hair, nail and skin care and the development strategies behind each product. She helps us understand how polymers are essential in the production of these cosmetics and how the design is optimized for each product application.
You can find out more about her and Avlon here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmalihasyed/
and
https://avlon.com/
Please let us know what you think of this podcast and feel free to send a comment or any suggestions to the Polymer Science Podcast email address:
polymersciencepodcast@gmail.com
Thank you for listening!
Today's episode features Prof. James Rawlins from the University of Southern Mississippi where he focusses his research on structure properties and structure performance relationships of polymer coatings and early detection of corrosion.
Coatings are predominant in our every day life and is used in corrosion control, as decorative covering or even for modifying surfaces to make it more hydrophobic (fabric protectors) or give it antimicrobial properties.
Prof. Rawlins talks candidly about life as a scientist and gives insight and advice on how to approach research projects. He also delves further into fundamentals of coatings so that young researchers that are interested in a career or further research in Polymer coatings can know what to expect.
You can find out more about Prof. James Rawlins by following this link:
https://waterbornesymposium.sched.com/artist/jamesrawlins
Thank you for listening and your continuous support!
Thomas Mortelmans is a PhD student with a passion for Polymers. He talks about how he combines various scientific fields and state-of-the-art nanofabrication techniques for bio-medically relevant applications. He is working on the development of Nanofluidic devices, which would be capable of interpreting pathophysiological mechanisms of Neurodegenerative diseases. The project is a collaboration between the Laboratory of Micro-and Nanotechnology (LMN) at the Paul Scherrer Institute and the Center for Cellular Imaging and NanoAnalytics (C-CINA) at the University of Basel.
You can find him in LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-mortelmans-066a9a83?originalSubdomain=ch
You can find his Cloudy Gin available in Belgium, that he has created: https://www.hooch.be/all-inc-mist-gin.html
As promised, here is the images of the Eiffel tower and more created using Two Photon Polymerization 3D printing: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Nano-microfabricated-artwork-by-two-photon-polymerization-a-Bull-sculpture-Scale-bar_fig5_287124439
Dr. Danielle Pretorius earned her PhD in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Together with Dr. Jay Zhang, she worked on fabricating cardiac tissue patches from human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cells. They have initially made structures using fibrin, but due to the dynamic nature of cells, the extracellular matrix could be completely remodeled. Danielle and her group's fabrication process has allowed them to achieve previously unseen tissue thickness with minimal necrosis, the ability to match viscoelastic properties to those seen in native left ventricular tissue as well as phenomenal conduction velocities throughout the structures.
If you want to learn more about Dr. Danielle Pretorius and her work you can follow her on LinkedIn where her research articles are also available
Please feel free to contact us at the email listed below. We would love to hear from you!
Polymersciencepodcast@gmail.com
Thank you for listening!
In this Episode we speak to Prof Stachewicz from the AGH University of Science and Technology about two topics that revolve around Bioengineered Electrospun fibers. We first talk about a Water Harvesting system using Polystyrene-Cellulose electrospun fibers. She describes the specific electrospinning process required for the development of "gutter" shaped fibers for these water collection devices in poor or under-developed communities. In the second topic we learn more about Eczema and how the treatment for this disease is being investigated and modified. Prof Ula and her group have developed electrospun patches that can behave as an oil carrier to sooth the irritated skin.
You can have a look at all the work that has been discussed here:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Urszula-Stachewicz
https://www.linkedin.com/in/urszula-stachewicz-387b5a1/?originalSubdomain=uk
Thank you for listening!
This episode is filled with information about the engineering and characterization of Exosome-Polymer hybrids. Dr. Upenyu Muza explains to us what exosomes are and how they can be modified and improved for the use in targeted drug delivery and for other medicinal applications by using polymers. He also gives us a detailed description of a very important separation technique called Field Flow Fractionation and how they adjust it to the requirements of their study of Exosome-Polymer hybrids.
I hope you enjoy this talk as much as I did! Please share and give a review if you enjoyed it. Feel free to leave a comment or contact us by emailing to polymersciencepodcast@gmail.com
You can check out Dr. Muza's work here: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Upenyu_Muza
And we are back, kicking off the new year with a topic close to our hearts! Today my Co-host Jacob Schekman spoke to Prof. Michael Meier from the Laboratory of Applied Chemistry at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany.
The topic of sustainable chemistry in the lab is a very interesting and necessary topic. Prof Meier discusses the importance of making scientific experiments more environmentally friendly and being conscientious about decisions made in the lab especially about selecting projects and conducting experiments.
Let us know what you think of this episode and if you enjoyed the new format! We would love to hear from you at polymersciencepodcast@gmail.com
Enjoy!
This year went by with a flash. Wow. It really tested our ability to work together as a society as well as forced us to re-evaluate what is essential and important to our health and well being.
This is a special episode to wrap up this year and to give thanks to everyone who have supported The Polymer Science Podcast so far. We cannot thank you enough!
One thing is certain, the year 2020 have shown us all how important Polymer Science is to our quality of life. In this episode we included some brief news and highlights about Polymer research that is aiding the fight against the pandemic and other interesting aspects of polymers in our daily lives.
We then celebrated the end of this podcast's first season with a fun Q&A so that you can get to know us better. We hope you have a fun time listening to our quirky answers!
You can go ahead and check out an interesting fact that we mentioned in the Q&A section about my co-host, Jacob Schekman, below:
https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2013/prize-announcement/
Other links to check out:
https://www.electrive.com/2020/01/16/eindhoven-introduces-the-recycled-car-luca/
And
https://www.europeanpharmaceuticalreview.com/news/132322/highly-potent-nanoparticle-covid-19-vaccine-designed-using-computer/
Remember to send questions and comments to polymersciencepodcast@gmail.com
We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and we hope you enjoy the rest of the festive season with your loved ones!
Stay safe and we will see you again in January!
All the best, Alicia and Jacob
This episode contains a fascinating talk with Haydn Kriel, who obtained a MSc in Polymer Science at Stellenbosch University, South Africa and he now resides in Finland and works with the Nordic Biotech Group. We talked about the life of a Polymer Scientist and how to make the best decisions for your career. We also discussed their innovative and sustainable natural disinfectant called Nordshield.
Nordshield is an ISO certified and award winning, multi-purpose product that forms a protective barrier against viruses, fungi and bacteria on treated surfaces like textiles and medical devices to name a few.
You are welcome to visit the Nordshield website:
https://www.nordshield.com/
And follow their amazing contribution to biofriendly and environmentally conscious research on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/nordshield
Remember to share this episode as well as send questions and comments to polymersciencepodcast@gmail.com
We would love to hear from you and what you want to hear about next!
Today we talked to Dr Nikoline Borgermann, founder of Ava Sustain. This is a consultancy that is dedicated to help labs around the world to reduce their environmental footprint by reducing single use plastic, energy and water waste.
She will be giving tips on how to take the first step toward a "greener" lab and how to overcome obstacles that may be making the change difficult. I hope you find it useful and enjoy the episode!
Check out Ava Sustain on Instagram and twitter @avasustain
You can also reach out to Dr Nikoline Borgermann on her website via www.avasustain.com
She provided us with a link to more information if you are interested in learning about the statistics for energy waste in the labs specifically for fridges:
https://www.mygreenlab.org/-70-is-the-new--80.html
She wrote a blog that you can find via www.labconscious.com/blog/going-green-in-a-wet-lab-symbolic-vs-high-impact-actions
Also, if you want to stay informed and part of the green lab community follow #greenlab #sustainablescience #labwaste #labwasteday
Thank you for listening!
Today we discuss some more interesting details about the electrospinning instrument. I hope you, as a student, researcher or even as a person wondering more about this instrument, find it useful! Please email The Polymer Science team at polymersciencepodcast@gmail.com for any questions or comments!
Hope you enjoy!
Today we are talking to Dr Lisa Fortuin, a postdoctoral researcher at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology. She did her PhD at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, where she used biodegradable polymers to develop prodrugs for targeted drug delivery. She is currently developing part of the layered system that forms the degradable polymer based bone fracture adhesive, which surgeons will eventually be able to use instead of metal plates and screws for bone fracture treatments!
I hope you enjoy listening to this episode! Please feel free to send comments and questions to polymersciencepodcast@gmail.com
You can also check out more about Dr Lisa Fortuin on social media like Instagram and LinkedIn:
@lisafortuij
Thank you for listening!
The electrospinning instrument has grown in popularity over the many years and have been developed in such a way that it can be used for a multitude of applications. Whether it is in the pharmaceutical or biomedical fields or in packaging or food preservation, it is an extremely interesting and useful tool in Polymer Science!
Hope you enjoy the short episode, there will be more to come where we will be discussing electrospinning in depth.
Please send comments and questions to polymersciencepodcast@gmail.com and I will answers related questions in the next part of this educational episode.
I'm excited to introduce my new co-host, Jacob Schekman, a fellow scientist with a passion for Polymer Science research!
Today's episode is with Dr Joshua Tropp from the University of Southern Mississippi. This talk brings us an interesting and informative conversation about conjugated polymers and the role that these materials play in the development of sensors and flexible electronics.
You can contact Dr Tropp via LinkedIn at Joshua Tropp, Ph.D or email to joshua.tropp@usm.edu
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This is the last episode for the Electron Microscope series discussing software and EDX. If there are more questions and comments about this instrument, I will make a seperate questions and answers episode. Stay tuned for more educational episodes about other characterization and analytical instruments still to come!
This podcast is now available on Podbean app as well!
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Today we are talking to Dr Pavani Cherukupally, whom I met in Mexico during the Polymer Processing Society conference in 2017. Her energy and passion for research in wastewater treatments and nanocomposite sponges are infectious. Clean and safe drinking water is crucial to our well being and researchers, like Dr Pavani, helps to create more cost effective ways of removing pollutants, such as crude oil and bacteria, from our water.
You can follow Dr Pavani's research by following these links:
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/p.cherukupally17
https://news.engineering.utoronto.ca/three-smart-solutions-institute-water-innovation/
You are welcome to send any comments and questions to me at: Polymersciencepodcast@gmail.com
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I had the privilege of interviewing the talented Hamsa Ashraf from Cairo, who currently works at a Child Cancer Hospital in the field of Tissue Engineering. Her work focusses on restoring long bone defects using bioprinted scaffolds made from natural biopolymers. The long distance call had its challenges for the audio but I am certain that you will find this episode extremely interesting, nonetheless!
You can follow Hamsa on Instagram where she continues to share information about Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering @itshamsaash
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This educational episode discusses the basics of sample preparation for Electron Microscopy. There are quite a number of ways to treat your sample depending on type of sample and the results you are looking for as well as the type of Electron Microscope you are using. I hope you find this episode useful, please feel free to comment and ask questions!
You can go to the Central Analytical Facility Electron Microscope Blog for more information.
These episodes are for students and people that are interested in the instruments that are used to characterise and analyse samples in Material Science and Chemistry. The first episode will be an introduction to Electron Microscopes and for understanding the components and functions of these glorious instruments. Hope you find it useful!
This episode discusses paper-based devices for the use in waste water epidemiology and focuses on how these sensor devices can positively contribute to the current issues caused by the Covid19 pandemic. Many informal settlements in South Africa and other third world countries are exposed to waste water and this device may help to establish any contamination of their drinking water. These Paper-based devices could also be used to test the waste/sewage water of a settlement and establish the presence of Covid19 in communities, thus eliminating the need for individual testing which could also lower the load on testing facilities which are currently being overwhelmed in many countries. This could lead to rapid identification of Covid19 in communities and containing the spread of the pathogen more effectively.