CBME/CHI Seminar Series

  • Date 21 September 2022
  • Time 1:30pm EST
  • Location Centre for Health Innovation

Dr. Kevin De France

Assistant Professor
Department of Chemical Engineering
Queen’s University

Wednesday, Sept 21, 2022 at 1:30pm EST
Sorbie Conference Room
Center for Health Innovation (CHI), KGH

Abstract: The development of high-performance sustainable materials as a practical replacement for non renewable products represents one of the most significant challenges of the 21st century. Luckily, interest in sustainable materials is rapidly growing, paving the way for fundamental research and commercial development in areas spanning the biomedical sector, packaging, energy storage devices, construction, and coatings. To this end, my primary research interests surround the rational design and assembly of nanomaterial ‘building blocks’ based on cellulose and proteins – two of the most abundant natural polymers on Earth.
In this seminar, I will discuss both my past research and future directions focusing on the use of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and protein amyloid fibers (PAFs) in the bottom-up fabrication of materials such as hydrogels, aerogels, emulsions, and films for a variety of applications. An emphasis is placed on understanding key structure-function relationships between individual building blocks and fabricated materials therein. In particular, the ability to leverage intrinsic CNC material properties such as mechanical strength, shape anisotropy, and chemical functionality for the development of hydrogel scaffolds is highlighted. In addition, the use of common proteins such as lysozyme and bovine serum albumin for the fabrication of PAFs are discussed in relation to kinetics of self-assembly, fiber morphology, and surface charge. The incorporation of both CNCs and PAFs into composite materials are covered, demonstrating synergistic improvements in material properties such as mechanical strength, adhesive potential, and structural ordering. Taken together, the design and engineering of sustainable materials such as CNCs and PAFs represents a significant milestone towards addressing key challenges within the biomedical sector and beyond.
Short Bio: Kevin (he/him) is the newest Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering here at Queen’s University (starting May 2022). His lab focuses on the development of sustainable materials from natural building blocks based on cellulose and protein. The work in his lab is highly interdisciplinary, spanning materials chemistry, engineering, and biotechnology, with the end goal of replacing petroleum-based products with high-performance renewable materials for a greener future. Prior to his appointment at Queen’s, Kevin worked as an NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow at Empa – Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, in Zurich Switzerland from 2019 to 2022.