AMBER Researchers funded by SFI-IRC Pathway Programme

15 July 2024

Congratulations to two AMBER Researchers on their projects selected as part of 25 projects to support early career researchers under the Science Foundation Ireland SFI-IRC Pathway programme. Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Patrick O’Donovan TD announced the awards for:

Colm Delaney of Trinity College Dublin (TCD) for project ‘Biomimetic nanocomposite architectures for responsive photonics (BIONICA)’

The origins of structural colour in nature has been traced back over 515 million years. In the plant and animal kingdoms, its presence has been attributed to camouflage, signalling, mimicry, and distraction. As the vibrancy and striking reflection suggest, the mysticism of structural colouration is found in its incredible intricacy, and the ability to create multilayer reflectors, diffracting grating, and scattering features, using naturally high refractive index materials, such as guanine, cellulose, and chitin on the nano and macro scales. Not only do these give rise to the most beautiful and strongest colours observed in nature, the dazzling iridescent shades of such as beetles, butterflies, chameleons, but they can actually be modulated by in a split second to blend in, stand out, or completely disappear. While scientists have agreed on the value of such materials, synthetic analogues with such functionality have not come close to the complexity or responsiveness of hierarchical photonic structures found in nature. This project will combine, self-assembling nano materials, stimuli-responsive polymers, 2 photon-polymerisation, and numerical simulation to yield programmable photonic structures, colour-mixing, angle independent colouration, and image encryption, which represent a new generation of dynamic photonic devices.

Thi Nga Tran of University of Galway for project ‘Functional Thin Film Based on CO2-derived Polymers and Stimuli-responsive Nanoparticles for Wound Healing Applications (WOUNDER)’

Wound is one of the most common health issues worldwide. Annually, the cost of wound care has continuously increased to 96.8 billion dollars. As an innovative solution, WOUNDER will establish a novel, cost effective and sustainable CO2-derived thin film- mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) platform for wound healing treatment. The green water-based process will be exploited to produce high performance, renewable and low CO2 footprint biocomposites composed of poly (propylene carbonate) (PPC), a CO2-based polymer, and stimuli-responsive MSNs. The porosity of incorporated MSNs with different pore-blocking chemistries offers a great versatility to load different therapeutic agents along with their sustained and controlled release, promoting the delivery of multiple therapeutic agents and the healing process. The versatility of the fabrication process will enable the incorporation of low-cost plant-based bioactive compounds and therapeutic agents with differing water-soluble characteristics to obtain multi-functional and programable wound healing materials. These technologies and materials will immediately impact patient outcomes, social wellbeing, and the medical infrastructure, as well as the circular economy and sustainable development of next generation advanced materials, thus contributing to accomplish the objectives of United Nations sustainable development goals 3 and 13 on the improvement of public health and the protection of the planet, respectively.

Assistant Professor Colm Delaney is an AMBER funded Investigator and Dr Nga T. Tran a recent AMBER and ADMIRE PostDoctoral Fellow

Full announcement and list of projects funded here: https://www.sfi.ie/research-news/news/minister-odonovan-funding/