Solving Big Problems with Small Things: tiny programmable sponges
Listen now
Description
Dr. Omar Farha of Northwestern University and NuMat Technologies talks about Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOF's) that he prefers to call "programmable sponges." Hailed as a potential defining material of the 21st century, these nano-sized structures can be used to neutralize toxic materials, pull water out of the moisture in the air and eventually, capture carbon emissions that threaten the planet.  The Pentagon is investing in this technology to create military clothing that can be used on chemical warfare battlefields.  "The sky's the limit," says Dr. Farha, in discussing the potential uses of programmable sponges.  Dr Farha's personal story is a classic: the immigrant from a poor family in the West Bank of the Palestinian Territories who overcomes big obstacles and achieves great things that could change our world.
More Episodes
Cancer biopsies are scary. The patient gets tissue removed from his or her body, the sample gets sent off to the lab and then there's the agonizing wait for the results.  Dr. Stephen Boppart of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, both a physician and an engineer, is working on instant...
Published 07/27/23
Published 07/27/23
Our experience with mRNA vaccines during the COVID pandemic showed us the possibility of  designing other RNA-based drugs in a flexible and efficient manner. Dr. Athma Pai of the UMass Chan Medical School talks about how her research into RNA therapeutics and the immense promise it holds for...
Published 07/25/23