School Seminar: Dr Khay Fong; The University of Newcastle
Friday, 25 February 11:00am – 12:00pm
This seminar will be delivered in Online – Zoom Please email chemistry.researchsupport@sydney.edu.au for zoom link and password.
Speaker: Dr Khay Fong; Chemistry, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle
Host: A/Prof. Markus Muellner
Title: Manipulating Membranes and Measuring Microplastics
Abstract: The self-assembly of lipids is key to the formation of nanomaterials for drug delivery and biosensing. Precise control over their assembly allows for the control over the mesophase formed and thus material properties such as release rate of drug or optical clarity. Control over their arrangement and re-arrangement has been central to my research since my PhD (Pharmacy, Monash University, 2013). Understanding both the effect of native biomolecules on the drug delivery system as well as the effect of drug delivery system on physiological systems is essential for their application.
As an environmental passion project, over the past 2 years I have been working with Swiss NGO Sail and Explore Association to quantify microplastics in ocean surface waters in the Pacific region. The scale and environmental effects of microplastic pollution in our oceans is relatively unknown. Our studies specifically focus on the quantification of smaller class sizes and streamlining of the quantification process. Through this collaboration, we aim to raise awareness, quantify, and reduce the impacts of plastic pollution in waterways around the world.
This talk will introduce my group’s research, zeroing in on two recent studies:
- manipulating lipidic membranes in complex physiological media
- measuring microplastics in surface waters in the Whitsundays.
