Physics Colloquium

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Tuesday September 20th, 4pm
634 SR1

New frontiers in Nanotechnology Applied to Biological Systems
Prof. Miguel Jose Yacaman
University of Texas - Austin
Chemical Engineering Department


Recently physics, chemistry and engineering sciences have advanced towards the biological frontier. Indeed, nano-sciences have been pushing the frontier of knowledge. For instance, the need of fabricating semiconductor devices that continue to follow the Moore's Law has pushed the idea of understanding self-assembly of quantum dots, as a way to produce devices on the future. The needs of drug delivery have required a more deep understanding of polymer and colloidal physics. The needs of the oil industry, coupled with the demand for a cleaner environment, have forced a new view of catalysis. Therefore, the synthesis of new catalysts has passed from a serendipitous type of activity to a more scientific based activity. Here, the understanding of selectivity, such in enzymatic catalysis, has connected again forefront chemistry at the nanoscale with biology.
The present talk will focus on the topic of "Nanotechnology Applied to Biological Systems" including nanostructures systems such as nanowires, nanotubes, nanoparticles and the like. We will discuss several examples that show how the advances in chemistry, physics, and engineering sciences are pushing the borders of our understanding of biological phenomena.

Coffee and Tea will be provided in Room 616 at 3:30 p.m.