Marieke Gerth

PhD student

Nationality: Dutch
Undergraduate Institution: Wageningen University
Master Institution: Wageningen University
Graduate Institution: Eindhoven University of Technology
Email: m.gerth@tue.nl
Phone: +31 40 247 2481
Office: STO 2.41 (Helix)

Sub-group(s):

Biography:
During my master’s Molecular Life Sciences at Wageningen UR, I did two graduation projects in the group of Prof. Van der Gucht. The first project focussed on supramolecular self-healing nanocomposite hydrogels. In this project I modified and characterised polymers, and used rheology, light scattering and X-ray scattering to investigate the mechanical and dynamical properties of the gels. In the second graduation project I worked on a non-perturbing method to measure interparticle forces in 2D colloidal Wigner crystals. Here, I worked with optical microscopy to probe the mechanical properties of supersoft materials. During my internship in the lab of Prof. Vlassopoulos at the Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas in Greece, I used light scattering and rheology to assess the temperature and solvent dependent size and mechanical properties of different star-block copolymers. After obtaining my master’s degree in 2015, I joined the Laboratory of Physical Chemistry at Eindhoven University of Technology as a PhD student.

 

Research Interests:
I design colloids which assemble through specific supramolecular interactions. By using motifs that are responsive to external triggers such as light and temperature, it is possible to switch the interactions on and tune their strength. I use techniques such as light scattering, circular dichroism and optical microscopy to analyse (the response of) these ‘supramolecular colloids’.

Selected Publications: