Monday 19 August 2013 8:05am
Research in which a biomaterial derived from wool is reconstituted to protect teeth is just one postgraduate project which will be highlighted in Wednesday’s Department of Applied Sciences Postgraduate Student Day.
Department of Applied Sciences postgraduates and their partnered businesses are to be celebrated and thanked this week at the department’s second annual Postgraduate Student Day.
Head of Department Professor Raechel Laing says 12 students will give presentations on their research during the event on Wednesday, with topics ranging from using wool for teeth, to solar wineries, to the functional design of the electrosensory system in sharks.
The day is also attended by the manufacturers, organisations, companies and funding partners the students work with, including Wool Industry Research Ltd. Professor Laing says the Department has long-standing arrangements with many external groups across New Zealand with whom it has mutually beneficial relationships.
“The day allows us to thank them, and for them to learn first-hand what we are achieving with their assistance.”
The recent addition of bioengineering to the Department is leading to a range of projects involving textiles, health and well-being. The wool for teeth research is one such example, where a student is reconstituting a novel biomaterial derived from wool to protect teeth. This PhD study programme is in conjunction with the Department of Anatomy and the Dental School.
Professor Laing notes that the day is a practical demonstration of how the Department is meeting current aspirations of Government, with industries accessing resources by engaging with universities.