CV

Maria Strømme obtained the division chair for nanotechnology at Uppsala University in 2004, and thus became the youngest technology chair professor in Sweden. Since then, she has built a research group, Nanotechnology and Functional Materials (NFM), consisting of some 20 members. The aim of the NFM group is to develop nanomaterials and analysis methods, mainly for biotechnology applications.

The members of the group have backgrounds in engineering physics, chemistry, surface biotechnology, pharmaceutical technology and molecular medicine. NFM acts as the spider in the centre of the web for national and international multidisciplinary projects aimed at developing nanomaterials for strategic applications and contributing to the general public's understanding of nanomaterials research along with its present standing, opportunities and risks.

The group possesses a unique set of competences in the development of mesoporous materials and has described
seven of the presently 20 known mesoporous structures (space group symmetries). Some of the nanomaterials developed by NFM for biotechnology applications have shown very promising properties for energy storage and gas separation purposes. An example of the former is a new type of nanocomposite, which we originally created for use in bioseparation techniques, and later developed into an environmentally friendly all-polymer-based battery. Information on this so called algae battery was published in a letter in September 2009, which became one of the most read Nano Letters articles during that year.

NFM works almost exclusively on multidisciplinary projects, since several areas of expertise are usually needed to solve materials-related problems in application. Examples on projects in focus for NFM includes development of magnetic nanoparticle-based diagnostics, new nanostructures for drug delivery, and smart implant surfaces.