Macquarie University scientist, Dr Douglas Little, has been awarded the 2014 National Measurement Institute (NMI) Prize for ground-breaking measurement techniques developed to assess the potential of spider webs to be used for in vivo (in body) medical devices.
Announcing the award, Parliamentary Secretary for Industry, Bob Baldwin, said Dr Little’s efforts to measure very accurately the refractive index of spider silks resulted in a 20 fold improvement on previous work.
“While this sounds a little like science fiction, Dr Little’s research opens the potential of using spider silks in future bio-inspired materials, for example as bio-compatible ‘scaffolding’ for new skin tissue,” Mr Baldwin said.
Dr Little said “These new measurements enable us to accurately predict how light behaves when it interacts with spider silks. This is significant step toward realising optical devices made from these materials.
“Spider silks resemble optical fibres, but with just one hundredth of the width. Their small size and outstanding mechanical strength may result in spider silks replacing optical fibres in applications such as communications and sensing, particularly biological and medical sensing, where their protein composition make them highly compatible with biological environments.
“It’s fascinating to think that optical materials of the future may be harvested from spiders, rather than produced in factories.”
The NMI Prize and the Barry Inglis Medal are awarded annually by Australia’s National Measurement Institute (NMI) to acknowledge and celebrate outstanding achievement in measurement research and excellence in practical measurements in Australia.
Mr Baldwin announced the successful recipients of the two prizes on World Metrology Day, which commemorates the anniversary of the signing of the Metre Convention on 20 May 1875. Metrology is the science of measurement.
“Each award recipient is an exemplary ambassador for the real-world application of measurements and techniques that are not only fit-for-purpose but are world-class innovations as well, ” said Mr Baldwin.
Announcing the award, Parliamentary Secretary for Industry, Bob Baldwin, said Dr Little’s efforts to measure very accurately the refractive index of spider silks resulted in a 20 fold improvement on previous work.
“While this sounds a little like science fiction, Dr Little’s research opens the potential of using spider silks in future bio-inspired materials, for example as bio-compatible ‘scaffolding’ for new skin tissue,” Mr Baldwin said.
Dr Little said “These new measurements enable us to accurately predict how light behaves when it interacts with spider silks. This is significant step toward realising optical devices made from these materials.
“Spider silks resemble optical fibres, but with just one hundredth of the width. Their small size and outstanding mechanical strength may result in spider silks replacing optical fibres in applications such as communications and sensing, particularly biological and medical sensing, where their protein composition make them highly compatible with biological environments.
“It’s fascinating to think that optical materials of the future may be harvested from spiders, rather than produced in factories.”
The NMI Prize and the Barry Inglis Medal are awarded annually by Australia’s National Measurement Institute (NMI) to acknowledge and celebrate outstanding achievement in measurement research and excellence in practical measurements in Australia.
Mr Baldwin announced the successful recipients of the two prizes on World Metrology Day, which commemorates the anniversary of the signing of the Metre Convention on 20 May 1875. Metrology is the science of measurement.
“Each award recipient is an exemplary ambassador for the real-world application of measurements and techniques that are not only fit-for-purpose but are world-class innovations as well, ” said Mr Baldwin.
