Polymer Science Podcast

Welcome back everyone! Please enjoy this jovial interview with Dr. Yoan Simon, Associate Professor of Polymer Science with the Biodesign Center for Sustainable Macromolecular Materials and Manufacturing at Arizona State University. Do you have any questions, comments, or feedback for the show? Please reach out to us at [email protected] #Polymers #PolymerScience #Engineering #USM #ASU #Vitrimer #UpConversion #TTA #Mechanochemistry #Chemistry

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 [email protected]

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 [email protected]

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 links: https://instagram.com/macromoleculargames?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= 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! [email protected]

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! [email protected]

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: [email protected] 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 -->[email protected]

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 [email protected]

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.   Learn more about Fraunhofer and Dr. Herfurth's exciting work in this article.

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 Schekman 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 QuickCure Clay. Pojman Polymer Products, LLC, licensed QuickCure Clay to Ranger industries, which produces and distributes the material around the world. 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 the links below to find out more:   Pojman Polymer Products: http://pojman.com/3pllc/3pllc.html   Examples of artist’s creations using Pojman’s “QuickCure 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   Let us know what you think of this episode by emailing to [email protected]. Check out our website: https://polymersciencepodcast.podbean.com/ 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 Southern 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: [email protected]   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 a nanofluidic device, 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 on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-mortelmans-066a9a83/ He also created his own Gin, inspired by his scientific. It is available in Belgium and is known as ‘Cloudy Gins', All IncMist. You can have a look by following this link: https://www.the-spiritists.be/english2/all-inc-mist-gin-40-500ml.html   Also linked as promised, the Two Photon Polymerizations 3D printing images of the Eiffel Tower and more: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287124439_Art_on_the_Nanoscale_and_Beyond/figures?lo=1&utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic   Thank you for listening!  

Dr. Danielle Pretorius has earned her PhD in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Together with Dr. Jay Zhang, she is helping to fabricate cardiac tissue patches that is made from human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cells. The initial structures were made with fibrin but due to the dynamic nature of the cells, the extracellular matrix of these cells could be remodeled. Danielle and her group's fabrications process has allowed them to achieve previously unseen tissue thickness with minimal necrosis, the ability to match viscoelasticity properties to those seen in native left ventricular tissue as well as phenomenal conduction velocities throughout the structures.   You can find out more about Dr. Pretorius and her work in this link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dani%C3%ABlle-pretorius-b93280b5/   Thank you for listening!   Please feel free to contact us at the email below: [email protected]

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 our talk as much as I did. Please share and give a review if you enjoyed this episode and feel free to leave us a comment.   You can check out the work that was done by Dr. Muza and his team: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Upenyu-Muza https://www.cmu.edu/mcs/news-events/2021/0104_exosome-polymer-hybrids.html   We would love to hear from you: [email protected]