Sabbatical Talk: Dr. David Schaefer, Professor, Dept. of Physics, Astronomy & Geosciences, Towson University

Abstract: Experimental work currently being performed in TU’s Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) lab will be discussed in this sabbatical presentation . The primary focus of the talk will be on work by the research group at TU, along with collaborators at UMBC, to produce materials made of fungi (called Mycelial materials). These materials can be designed to have a variety of physical properties, ranging from characteristics similar to leather to those similar to plastics. Mycelial materials, therefore, offer the potential for biodegradable, eco-friendly alternatives to conventional materials.  New AFM techniques used to study the fungi on the nanoscale will be discussed. Additionally, other experimental projects using the AFM facility will be briefly described.