Head of the Laboratory of Biomimetics
Institute of Microengineering and Nanoelectronics
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Bangi
Selangor
43600 UKM
Malaysia
PH:
+60 (3) 8921 6305
Fax:
+60 (3) 8925 0439
Email:
[email protected]
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Background
Prof. Ille C. Gebeshuber, Ph.D. is Head of the Laboratory of Biomimetics, Institute
of Microengineering and Nanoelectronics (IMEN) at the Universiti Kebangsaan
Malaysia, Associate Professor of Experimental Physics at the Institute of Applied
Physics at the Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria and Principal
Scientist at the Austrian Center of Competence for Tribology, Wiener Neustadt.
Ille C. Gebeshuber's primary research interest is biomimetics, scanning probe
microscopy and nanomedicine.
Prof. Gebeshuber's lab is focusing on detailed understanding of basic underlying
principles of nanostructures that lead to physical colors (as opposed to pigment
colours) in biological systems and the subsequent development of a fast, cheap
and simple production method for such colors. Samples from biology comprise
butterfly wings with amazingly colorful scales made from nanostructures, peacock
feathers structural colors (photonic crystals), moth eyes with antireflective
surfaces, spiders with reflective surfaces, diatoms (glass making algae) with
naturally nanostructured surfaces resulting in nice colors, beetle scales with
chiral liquid crystal surfaces, iridescent blue ferns (magic!), iridescent flowers.
In the nanomedicine research they collaborate with Prof. Fritz Aumayr, Institute
of Applied Physics, Vienna University of Technology, and Prof. Franz Gabor,
Pharmacy Department of the University of Vienna. Keywords for this research
are AFM, nanoparticles, cancer cell targeting, stem cell differentiation depending
on mechanical substrate properties.
Their current "BioScreen Pilot Project" deals with analysis of
the rich flora in South East Asia concerning its biomimetic inspirational potential
for technological applications. Central aspect of this research is installing
cooperations between institutions in the European Union with local institutions
in South East Asia. Increasing awareness about the technological innovation
potential of the rainforest and its abundance of species might cause a paradigm
shift in the way locals view the pristine forests. BioScreen is a pilot project
with the installation of collaborations between key institutions serving as
base for further projects as major task.