MEMBER NEWS


INTERVIEW WITH MCBAIN WINNER: RICO TABOR Rico’s reward


The 2017 McBain medallist is Dr Rico Tabor, a senior lecturer in physical chemistry, who leads the Soft Materials and Colloids group at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. He won the award for his work on surfactants and responsive colloidal systems. The McBain Medal and lecture is jointly awarded by SCI and the Royal Society of Chemistry to a rising star in colloid and interface science.


Tell me about the work that led to your nomination. Ever since my PhD, I have been fascinated by responsive colloids – systems that can be triggered by an internal or external stimulus to exhibit some function. This might be as simple as using a magnet to gather up valuable catalyst particles, or using a light-sensitive surfactant to separate oil and water on illumination. I became very interested


particularly in photo-sensitive molecules, as light is an external, clean and low-energy method to cause changes in dispersed systems. Recently,


EVENT REVIEW ‘You’re Hired’ testimonials


In the increasingly competitive chemical process sector, preparation is key to securing that perfect job after finishing your PhD or postdoctoral research position. SCI’s You’re Hired event, held at the


University of Huddersfield on 29 November 2017, was aimed at young researchers entering this phase of their careers, offering a full-day of networking and workshops that will help to turn rejection letters into job offers. Testimonials about the event from


delegates and the organising committee are evidence of its success, with You’re Hired set to return for another jam-packed day in autumn 2018.


Kirsty Stark, delegate and SCI Ambassador


told C&I: ‘I attended the You’re Hired event to help me consider my options after finishing my PhD. I found the broad range of talks on a variety of sectors a useful insight into the


possibilities outside academia. It also opened up my search to include different types of companies, such as corporate research organisations, that I had not considered previously. ‘The networking and panel sessions


provided an excellent opportunity to make contacts and ask questions. It was also great to talk to other attendees in a similar position and hear about their job hunting experiences. I found the day very beneficial, as it really made me consider my approach to job hunting and how I can utilise the skills I have to offer.’ Stephen East of Evotec and lead organiser


for the event, said: ‘For final year PhD and postdoc students completing their research projects, writing their thesis and applying for jobs is a plate-spinning exercise, which can seem rather daunting. You’re Hired 2017 aimed to reassure these students that there


is great excitement associated with taking the next step in their career because of the wealth of opportunity and variety of roles available on the back of chemistry higher education. Hopefully the enthusiastic and engaged delegates at You’re Hired reflected on a day filled with inspirational talks, hearty discussion, and top tips with the sense that what they are about to embark on is a fascinating stage of life. We wish them well!’ Delegate Bimod Thapa added: ‘The You’re


Hired itinerary included talks from both bigger firms and smaller companies, so I thought it would be a good place to hear about the differences between working in these environments. ‘The day was a good experience and a helpful opportunity to hear from people who have used their patents or specific reactions to set up a company.’


In terms of carbon


we have been working on a new range of molecules that are light-sensitive, and can be used to reversibly capture and disperse particles and chemical payloads. We interrogate these systems mostly with small-angle neutron scattering, which is able to uncover the subtle changes that occur at nanometre length scales within self-assembled systems. What are the applications in industry? For new surfactants, there


are always new challenges to address in industry, from biodegradable molecules for new agrochemical formulations, to advanced personal care products that are gentler to the skin, and stabilisers for new food formulations with reduced fat and salt. We work with industry partners across all of these areas, and try to develop a fundamental understanding of how molecular structure relates to the properties of the molecule when formulated.


nanomaterials, the majority of industry interest comes from water treatment and remediation. The ability to make a step change in how water is purified offers an exciting prospect, and we work with engineers at Monash to try and make our back-of-the-envelope ideas a reality! How do you feel about winning the award? I was incredibly humbled and of course delighted to be selected. It’s also a huge credit to the brilliant students and post-docs that I have the good fortune to supervise, that our endeavours are celebrated in this way. Science is a team effort and


I have benefitted immensely from generous and engaging mentors who have helped to guide me, and continue to do so. I hope this means that the world is going to be exposed to more surfactant science, and learn about the power that these magical molecules have in so many aspects of our daily lives.


Read the full interview here: bit.ly/2seEDT8


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