Two UC researchers awarded Rutherford Foundation Fellowships – Scoop.co.nz

Thursday, 14 November 2019, 11:49 amPress Release: University of Canterbury

Two UC researchers awarded Rutherford FoundationPostdoctoral Fellowships

Two outstandingUniversity of Canterbury researchers are among the tennationwide who have been awarded 2019 Rutherford FoundationPostdoctoral Fellowships

The two-year RutherfordFoundation Fellowships seek to build human capability inresearch, science and technology by supporting early careerresearchers.

Royal Society Te Aprangi President andChair of the Rutherford Foundation Trust, Professor WendyLarner FRSNZ, said the Society was pleased to awardfellowships and scholarships to these outstandingearly-career researchers.

About theresearch:

Dr AzadehHashemi, University of Canterbury, for researchtitled: Developing a simple and effective method fordirecting the differentiation of stem cells in thelab

The development of humans and animals starts froma mass of stem cells that change, eventually, into all thedifferent cells that make up the structures of an adultorganism. During development, a number of chemical andphysical signals produced within the embryo determine whatcell types stem cells change or differentiate into. Thechemicals secreted from neighbouring cells in contact withthe stem cells and the direct communication through the cellmembrane can be the source of some of these signals. Themovement of the embryo through the development process,causing mechanical strain, can also be another identifyingfactor in stem cell differentiation. The signallingactivated by all these processes will ultimately lead togene activity and the determination of cellulardifferentiation.

Stem cell biologists have been trying todirect stem cells to differentiate into specific cell typesby mimicking embryonic environments in-vitro. The benefitsof this would include being able to produce cell typesuseful for studying treatments for diseases or for tissuerepair and cell-based replacement therapies. Currently, stemcells need to be cultured under very controlled conditionsin order to direct their differentiation. This process istime-consuming and expensive, and still does not guaranteethe differentiation of stem cells into certain cell types ofinterest. In the past decade, manipulating cell-culturesubstrates the material that the cells grow on hasgained renewed interest as an alternative strategy tostandard methods of controlling cell behaviour. Micro- andnano-scale cell-like patterns on the surface of cell-culturesubstrates are one way of manipulating cell-substrateinteractions and influence differentiation outcomes for stemcells.

In her Rutherford Foundation fellowship, Dr AzadehHashemi aims to develop a new generation of in-vitrocell-culture substrates that will not only lower the cost ofdirected stem cell differentiation, but also increase theaccuracy of the differentiation process and the range ofdifferentiated cells. Dr Hashemi will be investigating theuse of cell-imprinted substrates 3D replicas of livecells or tissues onto a rigid material for culturingstem cells. The physical and mechanical properties of thesubstrates will also be adjusted to better guidedifferentiation. The cell-imprinted surface features, whichlook exactly like cells, combined with other materialproperties will allow her to create a cell-culture substratesimilar to cells natural environment. She hypothesisesthat this type of substrate will achieve a more desirableoutcome in stem cell differentiation.

Dr Rodrigo Martinez Gazoni, University ofCanterbury, for research titled: Novel andeasily-scalable metamaterials for energy and environmentalapplications

Transparent conducting oxides areexceptional materials because of their opticallytransparency and high electrical conductivity: twoproperties that are almost never found together in nature.This unique combination of properties could lead to thedevelopment of a bevy of new technologies with the potentialto reduce the impact of our increasing demand for energy andresources on our taiao environment. While transparentconducting oxide films are a fundamental component of LEDscreens, scientists have only begun to explore what othertechnologies might take advantage of these materials.Exciting potential abounds, including transforming anywindow into a transparent solar cell, new air purificationproducts, and self-powered smart windows and displays. Whencombined with nano-engineering, the potential for thesematerials expands into environmental applications such asphoto-degradation of contaminants, capture of pollutants,and industrial waste management.

Dr Rodrigo MartinezGazonis new postdoctoral research aims to develop noveltransparent conducting thin-films and nanostructuredmaterials based on metal oxides, and to explore theirpotential applications. He will first develop affordable,environmentally friendly, and scalable protocols tofabricate transparent semiconducting films based ongallium-, tin-, and zinc-oxides. Then, using organicmolecules as templates, he will tailor the nanostructure ofthese films and use them as the building blocks ofnano-structured metamaterials. The specific optical andelectrical properties of these materials will becustomizable for different applications, depending on thetemplating molecule chosen and on the nanostructure created.Finally, Dr Martinez Gazoni will use the nano-structuredtransparent conducting films to produce electronic devicesincluding diodes and transistors, and materials capable ofmanipulating light in the nanoscale to enhance theperformance of solar cells.

This project will expand ourunderstanding and control of transparent conducting oxides,enabling the development of a wide range of environmental,energy, and industrial applications. The development of thisinnovative and scalable approach will bridge the gap betweenfundamental research and industrial applications and has thepotential to contribute to the socio-economic growth andwell-being ofAotearoa.

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