Through industrial and international collaborations with research groups in France, Spain, and Canada, Professor Eva Hemmer and her team are pushing discoveries and innovation in the fields of upconversion and optical trapping in nanomaterials and molecules.
In the 2019/20 academic year alone, Prof. Hemmer used her expertise in rare earth-based optical nano- and micro- materials to build three beneficial partnerships. First, she had the opportunity to work with Dr. Loïc Charbonnière of the CNRS in Strasbourg, France thanks to the France Canada Research Fund. They study how hybrids of inorganic nanoparticles and molecules can enhance upconversion—a process by which two or more photons of lower energy trigger the emission of a photon of higher energy. Their joint research is of great value for biomedical applications and for energy harvesting, such as improving the efficiency of solar devices. Second, Nikita Panov, a former graduate student in the Hemmer Lab, joined Professor Haro-González’s team at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, benefitting from a Mitacs Globalink research internship from May to August 2019. The partnership allowed Nikita to study optical anisotropy in rare earth microparticles using the optical trapping method. Their findings are of fundamental interest as they could help develop future optoelectronic devices or optical spinners for sensing. Lastly, through an NSERC Engage grant, Prof. Hemmer initiated a collaboration with Mirexus Biotechnologies Inc. based in Guelph Ontario. They explored how particles can be combined with organic beads to add a luminescent tag, allowing them to be optically monitored.
Combining expertise is critical in highly interdisciplinary fields such as materials science, as it allows collaborating researchers to develop innovative materials and discover new applications. Prof. Hemmer explained that, “partnerships provide a great opportunity for students to gain additional scientific expertise and to experience life in a different country and culture, which is great for personal development”. In fact, the France Canada Research Fund will provide Prof. Hemmer with the opportunity to co-supervise a French PhD student who will study nanoparticles with the Hemmer Lab. Her team is also involved in a trilateral project with a group in Pune, India supported by the SPARC funding program. The Hemmer Lab looks forward to welcoming a student through this new collaboration once the COVID-19-imposed travel restrictions are eased.
