UNL nanoscience center hosting Science Cafe Aug. 18

Released on 08/03/2011, at 2:00 AM
Office of University Communications
University of Nebraska–Lincoln

WHEN: Thursday, Aug. 18, 2011

WHERE: Red9, 322 South Ninth Street, Lincoln

Lincoln, Neb., August 3rd, 2011 —
Srivatsan Kidambi
Srivatsan Kidambi

The Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will present a Science Cafe at Red9, 322 S. Ninth St., at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 18.

Srivatsan Kidambi, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, will speak about discoveries in stem cell research and how nanotechnology is playing an important role in leading stem cells from lab scale to clinical therapeutics. The Science Cafe is a free, public event.

Kidambi's research program focuses on the development of nanostructured materials with highly controlled architectures and chemistries for tissue engineering and drug delivery applications. The materials developed through this research will address some of the key challenges of regenerative medicine and drug delivery. The research will exploit classical engineering principles to increase understanding of the ways cells receive information from materials, and what happens to cell function over time when assembled within three-dimensional microenvironments.

The final goal of his research program is to design novel surfaces for understanding the underlying biology of diseases such as Alzheimer's, breast cancer and liver failure, and to engineer new therapeutic approaches.

Research at the nano level, where size and distance are measured in billionths of meters, is done in many areas including physics, chemistry, material sciences, engineering, biology and medicine. Nanoscientists study and make new applications that improve computers, medical treatments, energy efficiency and more.

The Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience at UNL is on the forefront of research in one of the highest-priority national programs, the National Nanotechnology Initiative. Founded in 1988, the center supports more than 85 research scientists from the departments of physics, chemistry, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, engineering mechanics, chemical engineering, and others. The center also works with state and national industries in support of Nebraska's overall economic development. A new building to house the center is under construction at 16th and W streets, planned for completion in late 2011.

Nebraska's Science Cafes share science research with the public from faculty at UNL and at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Part of a grassroots movement, the objective is to engage the public in conversations about science with a casual, open format, using plain language, inclusive conversation and a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere for people with little or no science background -- or for those with science expertise looking to discover more about new topics.

WRITER: Terese Janovec

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