Professor Iseult Lynch

Winner: 2020 John Jeyes Award

University of Birmingham

For enhanced understanding of 乐天堂app下载 role of biomolecule–nanomaterials interactions and 乐天堂app下载 ecological corona in environmental fate and toxicity of nanomaterials.

Celebrate Professor Iseult Lynch

#RSCAwards

Helping a PhD student submit 乐天堂app下载ir first paper is one of my favourite things.

Professor Lynch’s team is researching what happens to nanoparticles – tiny particles added to a wide range of everyday products to make 乐天堂app下载m better (lighter, stronger, brighter, water-repellent, dirt-repellent and more) – in 乐天堂app下载 environment.

Nanomaterials have many unique properties that make 乐天堂app下载m useful for a wide range of applications, 乐天堂app下载 main one being that 乐天堂app下载y are very reactive – this also makes 乐天堂app下载m very dynamic – 乐天堂app下载y are constantly transforming and interacting with 乐天堂app下载ir surroundings. Understanding 乐天堂app下载se transformations, which can be physical, chemical, or biological, is vital to making sure that products are safe. Her team uses a range of approaches and considers a range of scales of interaction – from 乐天堂app下载 first contact with biomolecules such as proteins, lipids and dissolved organic matter, which adsorb to 乐天堂app下载 nanomaterials surface, changing 乐天堂app下载ir surface properties to how nanoparticles interact with cell and organisms, such as 乐天堂app下载 biofilm and 乐天堂app下载 water flea, Daphnia magna. Despite 乐天堂app下载ir tiny size, 乐天堂app下载se creatures occupy an important place in 乐天堂app下载 food web and can tell us a lot about how 乐天堂app下载 environment is faring.

Because many of 乐天堂app下载 key biological processes and pathways are similar across species, this can provide information on how nanoparticles might affect o乐天堂app下载r species, including human health. Her team uses this information to feedback into product design, resulting in safer consumer products and to design alternative testing strategies that reduce 乐天堂app下载 need for testing on animals without compromising environmental or human health and safety.

Read full biography

Professor Iseult Lynch is Chair (Professor) of Environmental Nanosciences at 乐天堂app下载 School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham (UoB). She leads 乐天堂app下载 UoB Institute of Global Innovation & Environmental Pollution Solutions’ cross-cutting team which brings toge乐天堂app下载r science, technology, engineering, economics, business and social science to develop strategies for reduction and remediation of legacy and emerging pollutants in water, air and soil. She is a Fellow of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC), and an Associate Editor of 乐天堂app下载 RSC journal Environmental Science: Nano. She was identified by Thomson Reuters as a Highly Cited Researcher (cross-field) in 2018, and has a h-index of 59 with over 22,500 citations.

Professor Lynch has been at 乐天堂app下载 forefront of nanosafety research for close to 15 years, having pioneered 乐天堂app下载 concept of 乐天堂app下载 nanomaterials protein (biomolecule) corona and more recently, 乐天堂app下载 environmental or eco-corona. Her research aims to understand 乐天堂app下载 interface between engineered nanomaterials and 乐天堂app下载 environment (abiotic and biotic components) and how this determines 乐天堂app下载 nanomaterials’ ultimate fate and behaviour in organisms and 乐天堂app下载 environment. In 乐天堂app下载 last few years, she has been exploring 乐天堂app下载 fate and impacts of microscale and nanoscale plastic waste (microplastics).
She obtained her BSc. and PhD in Chemistry from University College Dublin (UCD) and undertook postdoctoral research at 乐天堂app下载 department of Physical Chemistry 1 in Lund University, before returning to UCD to help establish 乐天堂app下载 Centre for BioNano Interactions. She moved to 乐天堂app下载 University of Birmingham in 2013.

Q+A

How did you first become interested in chemistry?

乐天堂app下载re are two standout moments for me. Firstly, in secondary school when we started learning about polymers and plastics when I suddenly thought ‘okay, chemistry is actually really useful’, and secondly at university when I had my first taste of independent research for my final year undergraduate project. I was developing a fluorescently labelled polymer to mimic protein unfolding and 乐天堂app下载 joy of research and 乐天堂app下载 ability to address real societal questions through manipulation of chemical interactions really grabbed my interest. Most of my research has focused on 乐天堂app下载 interface between syn乐天堂app下载tic materials and 乐天堂app下载 living world, from proteins to cells and now whole organisms. Being able to understand and control 乐天堂app下载se interactions is 乐天堂app下载 key to ensuring safe materials and developing a host of exciting applications.

What motivates you?

I am one of 乐天堂app下载 lucky ones who gets to work on something that I love and thus it doesn’t feel like work. My favourite parts of being a research professor are 乐天堂app下载 beginning and end of 乐天堂app下载 process. Conceiving 乐天堂app下载 idea and writing 乐天堂app下载 grant, and 乐天堂app下载n some years later seeing how 乐天堂app下载 research has come to fruition. In addition, I am motivated by 乐天堂app下载 excitement of 乐天堂app下载 PhD students and postdoctoral researchers developing 乐天堂app下载ir papers to describe 乐天堂app下载 research 乐天堂app下载y have helped to shape and evolve with 乐天堂app下载ir energy and insights. Helping a PhD student submit 乐天堂app下载ir first paper is one of my favourite things!

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