Every year, Nano Area of Advance recruits four outstanding PhD students to strengthen cutting-edge research within nanoscience and nanotechnology. The students are given the opportunity to shape their own projects and collaborate across disciplines. This year’s recruits – Purin, Janko, Alida, and Saba – share about their research, projects and their hopes for the future.
Hello, Purin! What is your research about?
“The project involves several different research fields such as synthesis, photophysics, electrochemistry, and computational chemistry photolysis, Computing and Electronic chemistry. In my research, I will be designing metal complexes for photocatalysts. My main goal is to design a novel metal complexe, that can be used to produce hydrogen or synthetic fuels from light. We try to mimic the natural process of photosynthesis. We will therefore be designing and synthesizing new complexes, and studying their properties and behavior through spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques. Another interesting part of my research is the computational chemistry, which can be used to make certain predictions about properties of the complexes.”
What made you interested in applying for this position?
“It is a perfect choice for me since it gives me a lot of freedom, and you have the possibility to decide your own research. Another great opportunity with this position is to be able to create collaborations because my project is interdisciplinary.”
Hello, Janko! What is your research about?
”The field is known as liquid–liquid phase separation. A more precise way to describe it could be to say that we study how protein condensates form and grow. Proteins themselves are stable building blocks that do not change, but they can cluster together into droplets, known as condensates. In cells, proteins are normally dissolved, but under stress conditions, such as heat shock, it can cause them to condense. There has been some previous studies that suggest that they might be interacting with other cellular membranes inside the cell, but this is so far an unexplored field.”
How does your research look like? What are you doing in your everyday work?
“I didn’t know so much about this field before, but I noticed how interesting this field is because the process didn’t seem abstract to me. The importance how these proteins condense, or dissolve, can lead to important medical applications. If they condense and do not dissolve, then this can lead to cancer and Alzheimer’s, which is a very important field to study.”
Hello, Alida! What is your research about?
“I studied Biomedical engineering and Materials science before, and I wanted to find something where I could combine these two fields. In our research, we try to prevent implant-related infections by using smart materials that stop infections inside the body. What we do is to combine mesoporous titanium oxide, which can be loaded with different types of medicines and used to prevent infections.
We also work on preventing infections locally in the body, while avoiding the use of large amounts of antibiotics. That’s why we are also investigating gold nanorods in our research. When the gold nanorods illuminate with the right wavelength, they start to resonate and generate heat, which can prevent bacteria from attaching to the surface.”
What are your hopes to accomplish before you finish this position?
“I hope that I have learned a lot, that we have developed something that works, and that we have contributed with something valuable moving forward. I also hope that I will have gained many good opportunities for my future career. In the future, I hope to continue within the same research field, either in academia or in industry.”
Hello, Saba! What is your research about?
“Simone Gasparetti is my supervisor and I will be studying quantum superconducting circuits, where we will design and measure these circuits in a Cryostats, a fancy fridge for measuring. The quantum of these circuits allows us to study thermodynamic at the quantum scale. What I like about this field of study is that I can be an engineer and physicist at the same time.”
How do you think this position will affect your future career?
“I think this is a prestigious position and I think it’s a perfect choice for me to do my own research with a lot of freedom. I like both industry and academia right now, so it is hard for me to know what I want to do next. I just know that I want to enjoy what I am doing and explore this research field.”
About the recruitment of Excellence PhD students
Each year, the Nano Area of Advance funds the recruitment of four PhD students to different departments linked to nano research. The job advertisement is published at the beginning of the year with a deadline for applications in mid-March. The Nano Area of Advance management team together with the steering group selects the candidates.
- Doctoral Student, Applied Chemistry, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
- Doctoral Student, Nano and Biophysics DP
- Doctoral Student, Applied Chemistry, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering