Sustainable Nano

Professor Mike Curry of the North Carolina Agricultural & Technological State University (NCAT) is a scientist, inventor, mentor, and advocate with a passion for bringing attention to the great research that happens at Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs). In this episode we share an interview between Dr. Curry and Dr. Bob Hamers, Director of the NSF Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology, discussing Dr. Curry's nanocellulose research and the process of bringing HBCUs and Primarily White Institutions (PWIs) together for meaningful collaboration.

Early in the COVID pandemic, then-graduate student Safia Jilani became Twitter buddies with the Chief Editor of the prestigious journal Nature Chemistry, Dr. Stuart Cantrill. Dr. Jilani is now a Postdoctoral Fellow with the NSF Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology, and Dr. Cantrill is now the Editorial Director for all of Nature's physics and chemistry journals... and they finally got the chance to meet in person last month! In this episode we bring you a conversation between these two chemists about the power and challenges of social media, the importance of mentorship, and being open to unforeseen career paths.

Five years after our first interview, we catch up with Dr. Jason White about chemistry at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and how nanoscience can benefit agriculture and global food security.

Mental Health Awareness Month was back in May, but it's never too late to talk about mental health and strategies for taking care of ourselves during difficult times. In this episode we share a discussion with psychiatrist Dr. Kaz Nelson called "Why we all feel so terrible and what to do about it."

Season 6 of Sustainable Nano is here!

What do nanotechnology, blacksmithing, and Star Wars have in common? In this episode, we talk with Dr. Suveen Mathaudhu about a range of topics from medical applications of materials science to metallurgy in The Mandalorian.

It's the first episode of season 6! We interview Olivia Geneus and Jarriaun Streets about founding #BlackinNanotech, how they got into science, and the challenges of communicating about nanotechnology.

How do you explain sustainable nanotechnology using art? Last fall the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology collaborated with Lifeology, an online platform that connects scientists and artists, to create a public-friendly "mini-course" called "What happens to nanoparticles in the environment?". On this episode of the podcast, CSN graduate students and course co-authors Stephanie Mitchell and Paige Kinsley talk with artist Elfy Chiang about her journey as an artist, working with scientists, and the excitement that can happen when collaborators surprise each other.

How do you explain sustainable nanotechnology in text shorter than a tweet? This fall the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology collaborated with Lifeology, an online platform that connects scientists and artists, to create a public-friendly "mini-course" called "What happens to nanoparticles in the environment?". On this episode of the podcast, CSN graduate students and course co-authors Jaya Borgatta and Stephanie Mitchell talk with Lifeology co-founder Paige Jarreau about Lifeology, her journey to becoming a professional science communicator, and the importance of empathy in achieving accessible communication.

Zack Jones, a graduate student in the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology, gives diamonds to his study organism. But they're nanodiamonds, not jewelry, and after the tiny worms eat them, Zack uses their fluorescent and magnetic properties to see where the material accumulates within the worm's body. This episode talks about worms, defective diamonds, and how the combination of the two can provide information on environmental contamination.