Water first. It's true.
Event details
| Date | 12.09.2017 |
| Hour | 17:15 |
| Speaker | Prof. Sylvie Roke, Institute of Bioengineering and Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, EPFL |
| Location | |
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
INAUGURAL LECTURE
Abstract:
Water is the most important liquid for life. It is intimately linked to our well-being. Without water, cell membranes cannot function. Charges and charged groups cannot be dissolved, self-assembly cannot occur, and proteins cannot fold. Apart from the intimate link with life, water also shapes the earth and our climate. Our landscape is formed by slow eroding/dissolving processes of rocks in river and sea water; aerosols and rain drops provide a means of transport of water. Water (H2O) is a molecule with only three atoms. In liquid water there is a hydrogen bonding network that originates from the interactions of H atoms with neighboring O atoms from other water molecules. This network reorganizes itself on the femtosecond (10-15 s) time scale and leads to transient liquid structuring on the nanoscale. Because of its complexity, the relationship between the unique properties of water and its structure have not been solved. Techniques that can provide femtosecond structural information over multiple length scales can help. To do so, we developed nonlinear light scattering and imaging tools to access molecular structural information of aqueous solutions and interfaces.
With these methods we have found nanoscale ordering in dilute salt solutions, and probe the structure of aqueous nanoscopic interfaces relevant for biology: lipid droplets, liposomes and water droplets. The optical properties of water can also be used to determine the electrical potential (voltage) of interfaces. This unique readout is useful for chemistry, neurology and device characterization. Apart from giving an overview of the field and our findings, I will also pay attention to how surprising the roads toward scientific discovery can sometimes be.
Program:
- Introduction by Prof. Matthias Lutolf, Director of the Interfaculty Institute of Bioengineering
- Inaugural Lecture of Sylvie Roke: "Water first. It's true."
Please register here: http://go.epfl.ch/roke
Bio:
Sylvie Roke obtained B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees with highest honors in chemistry (2000) and physics (2000) from Utrecht University and a Ph.D. degree in natural sciences from Leiden University (2004, highest honors). In 2005 she was awarded a floating independent research group leader (W2) position by the Max Planck Society. In 2011 she moved to EPFL, where she holds the Julia Jacobi Chair in Photomedicine. She received the Minerva Prize (2006), the Hertha Sponer Prize (2008), an ERC Starting Grant (2009), and an ERC Consolidator Grant (2014). Her research focuses on understanding aqueous systems, interfaces, soft matter, and biological systems by using and developing a variety of novel spectroscopic and imaging methods.
Abstract:
Water is the most important liquid for life. It is intimately linked to our well-being. Without water, cell membranes cannot function. Charges and charged groups cannot be dissolved, self-assembly cannot occur, and proteins cannot fold. Apart from the intimate link with life, water also shapes the earth and our climate. Our landscape is formed by slow eroding/dissolving processes of rocks in river and sea water; aerosols and rain drops provide a means of transport of water. Water (H2O) is a molecule with only three atoms. In liquid water there is a hydrogen bonding network that originates from the interactions of H atoms with neighboring O atoms from other water molecules. This network reorganizes itself on the femtosecond (10-15 s) time scale and leads to transient liquid structuring on the nanoscale. Because of its complexity, the relationship between the unique properties of water and its structure have not been solved. Techniques that can provide femtosecond structural information over multiple length scales can help. To do so, we developed nonlinear light scattering and imaging tools to access molecular structural information of aqueous solutions and interfaces.
With these methods we have found nanoscale ordering in dilute salt solutions, and probe the structure of aqueous nanoscopic interfaces relevant for biology: lipid droplets, liposomes and water droplets. The optical properties of water can also be used to determine the electrical potential (voltage) of interfaces. This unique readout is useful for chemistry, neurology and device characterization. Apart from giving an overview of the field and our findings, I will also pay attention to how surprising the roads toward scientific discovery can sometimes be.
Program:
- Introduction by Prof. Matthias Lutolf, Director of the Interfaculty Institute of Bioengineering
- Inaugural Lecture of Sylvie Roke: "Water first. It's true."
Please register here: http://go.epfl.ch/roke
Bio:
Sylvie Roke obtained B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees with highest honors in chemistry (2000) and physics (2000) from Utrecht University and a Ph.D. degree in natural sciences from Leiden University (2004, highest honors). In 2005 she was awarded a floating independent research group leader (W2) position by the Max Planck Society. In 2011 she moved to EPFL, where she holds the Julia Jacobi Chair in Photomedicine. She received the Minerva Prize (2006), the Hertha Sponer Prize (2008), an ERC Starting Grant (2009), and an ERC Consolidator Grant (2014). Her research focuses on understanding aqueous systems, interfaces, soft matter, and biological systems by using and developing a variety of novel spectroscopic and imaging methods.
Links
Practical information
- General public
- Free
Organizer
- Sylvie Deschamps