Media Release
August 29, 2011
Young chemist wins Tall Poppy Award
One
of the University of South Australia’s top young researchers has been
acknowledged for his work at the annual South Australian
Young Tall Poppy Science Awards.
Microfluidic and interfacial chemistry expert
Dr Craig Priest, 32, was a winner at the 9th Tall Poppy Awards held
last week at Government House in Adelaide.
The awards recognise outstanding work by scientific researchers in the
early stages of their careers who are already making significant
scientific contributions.
Dr Priest, a research fellow at the Ian Wark Research Institute, works
on ways to control liquids on different surfaces.
“How surfaces influence liquids is really important to a lot of areas,’’
Dr Priest says. “It’s a fundamental study. For example we can apply the
work we do in mineral processing, where you try to use bubbles to catch
particles which have a certain type of chemistry."
His research is looking at the potential of microfluidics, using
manipulation of tiny streams of liquids in devices the size of a petri
dish to mimic a range of natural and industrial processes.
One of Dr Priest’s long-term goals is the development of an industrial
'processing plant on a chip', allowing mixing, heating exchange and
other processes to be done on a micro-scale quickly, without any moving
parts, without any human intervention and with the bare minimum of
resources.
Another of his long-term research interests is the production of a
device with up to 10 different sensors - each designed to attract a
particular protein or metal or biological material such as DNA - which
could have the potential to be used for remote health testing, among
other applications.
“We can make the device and the function and the understanding a
reality, and then beyond that, the applications are, for want of a
better phrase, endless," Dr Priest said.
He added that he was delighted to be named a Tall Poppy and looked
forward to continuing to promote science and technology to the public.
Congratulating all the finalists and award winners, including those from
UniSA, University Vice Chancellor
Peter Høj said it was vital for researchers to engage with the
community and to communicate the importance of their work to the public
at large.
“Programs like the Tall Poppy Awards play an important role by giving
the public a clearer sense of the range of innovative, world class
research work being undertaken at universities,’’ Vice-Chancellor Høj
said. “It is also an opportunity for the community to be introduced to
those who are likely to be our leading thinkers in the years to come and
inspiring young people to consider careers in science.’’
Neuroscientist Dr Michelle McDonnell, biomedical expert Dr Roger Yazbek, health scientist Dr Grant Tomkinson,
and cardiovascular nutrition expert Dr Alison Hill, all UniSA researchers, were
named as finalists in the State awards.
Media contact
- Andrew McGarry office (08) 8302 0965 email andrew.mcgarry@unisa.edu.au