Current Research Status

Alright, here's an update on my research progress towards the PhD. I've managed to make batteries using the inkjet printer, but the performance of those batteries was simply ho-hum. Since they were printed onto glass, there's not really anything novel about the batteries that makes it worthwhile to publish an article specifically about them. However, my supervisor will combine some of the results of my battery project with a paper he is writing about his work using some of the same chemicals. So in the end, I still get my work published, and it's a small notch towards my doctorate.

I am probably more critical of my work than my supervisor or anyone else here. I did get lots of practice in the lab and on the printer. As a result of that, I'm certainly better able to direct my own research from here on. After complaining about issues with the printer for the past several months, I've finally been able to get enough attention that it looks like we will be doing something about it. In my last monthly meeting, I volunteered to put together a presentation outlining all our options, and there is a meeting in early January with my supervisors and several other researchers to discuss the future of the printing options in our lab. We have some angel funding we can tap into -- and the biggest surprise to me was that we may end up buying two (TWO!) of the printers I want.

My future research will likely involve a number of different methods of printing. After the holiday break I will begin working on the crowning achievement of my work -- which will be trying some new things with bio-scaffolds. That topic covers a very wide area of currently ongoing research around the world, but on a basic level, it's exactly what it seems to be: engineering micro-scaffolds that can then be used for things such as tissue engineering or other biological applications. This next project will consume my remaining time in the program, but there are multiple milestones along the way that should yield publications.

For now, I'm going to enjoy the two-week holiday break. I'll be doing leisurely things, certainly, but this kind of free time also allows me space to read up on bio-scaffolds and think about what kind of problem I would like to solve. Next year will be exciting, indeed.