Science on surfaces - Tips, Tricks and Tools

Which day-care center has the best air quality? And is this Li-ion battery approaching a catastrophic failure?These are questions that NPS technology could answer. In this episode of Season 2 of Science on surfaces we talk to Dr. Elin Langhammer about Nanoplasmonic sensing, also called NPS. Dr. Langhammer is co-founder and technical director of Insplorion, a company that develops and manufactures NPS sensors for research and development instruments as well as large volume sensor applications.The conversation starts by Dr. Langhammer describing how NPS technology works and how nanoparticles at a surface, illuminated by light, can reveal what happens in their surroundings. We then move on to talk about how this technology is used in diverse areas, both as a research tool and in large-scale sensing applications, for example in measurements of air quality. We also talk about future applications and how NPS measurements can reveal the status and health of Li-ion batteries, information that could facilitate the transition to renewable energy sources, where batteries are an important component.Thanks for listening! If you are interested in surface and interface science and related topics, you should check out our blog -  the Surface Science blog

How come paint sticks to the wall? And what makes the ink, used to print logos and text on the milk carton, stay in place?In this episode of Season 2 of Science on surfaces we talk to Dr. Susanna Lauren at Biolin Scientific about adhesion. Susanna did her Ph.D. on microfluidics and superhydrophobic surfaces and is an expert on surface-related phenomena, such as surface tension, surface free energy, wettability, and adhesion.Susanna describes how adhesion is defined and talks about the three different components that, in combination, give rise to this phenomenon. We then move on to talk about in what areas adhesion is important and what different factors affect it. We also get to learn more about what possibilities there are to predict the quality of the adhesion and how it can be tested.Thanks for listening! If you are interested in surface and interface science and related topics, you should check out our blog -  the Surface Science blog

How come a water droplet spreads more on a clean glass surface than on a plastic one? And why does the nature of the water spread on the surface matter in a biomedical application?In this episode of Season 2 of Science on surfaces we talk to Dr. Susanna Lauren at Biolin Scientific about contact angles, which is a measure of the wettability of a surface. Susanna did her Ph.D. on microfluidics and superhydrophobic surfaces and is an expert on surface-related phenomena, such as surface tension, adhesion, surface free energy, and wettability.Susanna explains what factors affect the wettability and why the contact angle differs between different materials, making some materials hydrophilic and others hydrophobic. We also get to learn more about how the contact angle can be measured and how it can reveal whether a material will be suitable for a biomedical implant and if your paint will stick to the wall or not.Thanks for listening! If you are interested in surface and interface science and related topics, you should check out our blog -  the Surface Science blog

Why are so many scientists struggling with stress at work? And what can we do to improve the situation? In this episode, we talk to Dr. Déborah Rupert, a certified professional coach, about well-being and stress management for scientists. Dr. Rupert, who has a background in science, today works to support science innovators with knowledge and tools designed to take care of their minds and protect them from burnout.In the conversation, we talk about the work-related stress experienced by many academia and what the root causes are. Dr. Rupert then gives us some tips and shares some practical tools that can help us take care of our minds, reduce our stress levels and protect ourselves from burnout. Thanks for listening! If you are interested in surface and interface science and related topics, you should check out our blog -  the Surface Science blog

Why is surface tension so important in nature, and even a requirement for life? And why are so many industries struggling to overcome its effects? In this episode of Season 2 of Science on surfaces we talk to Dr. Susanna Lauren at Biolin Scientific about Surface Tension. Susanna did her Ph.D. on microfluidics and superhydrophobic surfaces and is an expert on surface-related phenomena, such as adhesion, wettability, surface free energy, and – most importantly - surface tension, the topic of today’s conversation. Susanna explains why the surface of water behaves like an elastic sheet and how this phenomenon impacts several aspects of the world around us, from the ecosystems to laundry soil removal, and many other aspects of our lives. We also talk about how the surface tension can be measured, and what challenges could be involved in such an analysis.Thanks for listening! If you are interested in surface and interface science and related topics, you should check out our blog -  the Surface Science blog

How does soil removal really work? And why is it so difficult to remove the sweaty smell from sportswear? In this first episode of Season 2 of Science on surfaces we talk to Lars Mathiesen, Global Marketing Manager at Novozymes and expert in soil removal. Lars has a background in biology and biology-technology and has been working with enzymes within cleaning solutions for more than 10 years. The conversation starts with an overview of the soil removal basics. Lars describes the different components included in a cleaning formulation, what their roles are, and why cleaning formulation design can be so challenging.  We also talk about why some soil is particularly difficult to remove, and what cleaning solutions we can expect to see in the future.Thanks for listening! If you are interested in surface and interface science and related topics, you should check out our blog -  the Surface Science blog

Viral outbreaks and cancer represent two of the world’s biggest health problems. Could a materials science and engineering approach be used to address these challenges in global health?In this last episode of Season 1, of Science on surfaces - a bigger perspective on the small, we talk to Prof. Nam-Joon Cho, Nanyang Associate Professor at the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Prof. Cho is leading the Engineering in Translational Science group, where they apply engineering strategies to solve challenging biomedical problems and combat e.g. infectious diseases.We start the conversation by talking about the challenges of global health and Prof. Cho describes their surface science approach towards antiviral drug design, an approach which he believes could revolutionize antiviral drug development. He and his team have engineered an antiviral peptide that targets the Achilles heel of the Zika virus and other viral pathogens, such as hepatitis C, yellow fever, and dengue. Prof. Cho talks about their published results on this drug candidate for therapeutic treatment of the Zika virus, as well as the work they are doing for the early detection of circulating cancer tumor cells.Thanks for listening! If you are interested in surface and interface science and related topics, you should check out our blog -  the Surface Science blog

What is tissue engineering, can all tissue be engineered and what’s in a bioink?In this episode of Science on surfaces - a bigger perspective on the small we talk to Prof. Paul Gatenholm, Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Chalmers University of technology and Director of 3D Bioprinting Center, BBV at Biotech Center. In the studio, we also have Prof. Bengt Kasemo, Chalmers University of Technology, who has long experience in the area of biomaterials.We start with the basics and Paul tells us more about what tissue engineering is, how it works and what the engineered tissue can be used for. We also talk about where surfaces come into play, what challenges there are in terms of growing and using the tissue, and how vascularized organ tissue in the future could be sent into space to learn more about what negative effects deep space mission would have on humans. Thanks for listening! If you are interested in surface and interface science and related topics, you should check out our blog - the Surface Science blog

Could CCS help us fight climate change? How much CO2 is it possible to capture? And what is the difference between CCS, BECCS, and DAC?In this episode of Science on surfaces - a bigger perspective on the small we talk to Prof. Filip Johnson from the Division of Energy Technology at Chalmers University of Technology, whose research focuses on ways to reduce the negative impact of the energy system on the climate. In the studio, we also have Prof. Bengt Kasemo, Chalmers University of Technology, who has worked a lot with sustainable energy and the energy system of the future. As always, we start with the basics and Filip tells us more about what CCS is, why it is needed, and what negative emission means. We also talk about how CCS works in practice, from capture to storage, and what the captured CO2 can be used for. Finally, Filip shares his view on what challenges there are in terms of CCS implementation and what the future looks like.Thanks for listening! If you are interested in surface and interface science and related topics, you should check out our blog - the Surface Science blog 

With the overall global ambition to shift from fossil fuel-based energy sources to sustainable ones, such as wind and solar power, the need for energy storage will increase.In this episode of Science on surfaces - a bigger perspective on the small we talk to Prof. Bengt Kasemo about energy storage and how surface science matters for some of the important storage methods. Prof. Kasemo, who has long experience in surface science and who has worked a lot with sustainable energy and the energy system of the future, explains key concepts and terminology and shares some of his knowledge, thoughts, and ideas on the topic.As always, we start with the basics and talk about why energy storage is needed and what different ways there are to store energy. We then dig deeper into the storage methods where surface processes are involved, such as batteries and super capacitors, and touch upon the related topic of fuel cells. We also talk about how the surface material properties and surface condition matter, what are the pros and cons of the respective method, including challenges and limitations, and what the future looks like for these methods.Thanks for listening! If you are interested in surface and interface science and related topics, you should check out our blog - the Surface Science blog