Polymer Materials

Polymers are everywhere! Precisely assembled DNA molecules carry the building code of the life (For example ~200million base pairs and 85mm long Chromosome 1 can be found in each of our cells, along with other chromosomes). Man made plastics are essential parts of nearly every product: from food packaging foils, clothing textiles or cases of electronic devices and many more.

But the most abundant polymer on our planet is cellulose, an essential ingredient in all plants and biomass. Same cellulose is also main component in man made materials, such as paper, which is old and familiar, yet complex, diverse and exciting material, that hold promise in other areas than being carrier of written knowledge, the task, which is now more and more take over by electronics. We are currently exploring application of paper in low-cost microfluidics, diagnostics, biological models, sensors and electronics.

Figure: Microscopic structure of cellulose paper.