Modern Molecular Science and How It Is Changing Our Life

Mon 10 February 2020

Department of Chemistry

Dr Ljiljana Fruk, Department of Chemical Biology and Engineering, Cambridge

The second talk in a series of lectures organised by the Cambridge Philosophical Society in the Lent Term 2020.

Abstract : Last year we celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Periodic table of elements, and it is hard to believe that only that much time has passed between the systematic ordering of the chemical elements to the large scale production of polymers and nanocoatings, and design of implantable biosensors and drug nanocarriers.

Modern molecular science is merging our knowledge of biochemistry, molecular biology, physics and even artificial intelligence to come up with materials suitable for application in medicine and beyond. Particular advances have been made in the design of bio-nano hybrids that combine the biomolecules with man-made nanostructures with the help of chemical strategies that can overcome intrinsic differences between individual elements.

We will have a look at the biomedical applications of molecular designs, and the use of novel (nano)materials in biosensing, tissue engineering, chemical industry, but also architecture and wearable technology.
A warning to all of you who are not chemistry fans: there will be some molecular structures! But instead of looking at detailed synthetic routes, we will explore how these molecular structures are turned into materials and products that are changing our life.

Cost: Free