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maria strømme

"My gut feeling is that this will be a decisive step towards being able to use molecules that 'build themselves' in practical applications. This would open up whole new possibilities."

Subject tags for this article: molecules, materials, nano, nanotechnology, molecular electronics,

Born: 1970
Doctorate in solid-state physics, Uppsala University 1997.
Professor of Nanotechnology at the Department of Engineering Sciences, Nanotechnology and Functional Materials, Uppsala University.

Interview by Eva Krutmeijer

Seeing what something looks like in detail helps us to understand how it works. Nano research is about seeing the truly small structures. The computer screen in front of you, the clothes you're wearing, the cells in your body - using the nano scientist's extremely powerful magnifying glasses we can now see right into the world of molecules. One person who's quite at home in this Lilliputian world - and who wants to know even more about how it works - is physicist and nano scientist Maria Strømme.

What's it like doing research in Sweden?

"Working in a high-tech society with a high level of education has great advantages. You get a good network of people both inside and outside the academic world and this helps to keep the research moving in the right direction. Not least the companies that are working on applications for the discoveries we're making."

How do you see the issue of applied research versus basic research?

"I'm not all that worried about the division between strategic input and basic research. They go hand-in-hand. This is largely thanks to the way my research is financed, which allows me to do in-depth stuff occasionally. When you're breaking new ground and need to solve a specific problem you keep running into questions that are entirely fundamental. What's most fun for a scientist is when you can do both - that's when basic research and strategic problem-solving enrich one another."

Anything you're really proud of?

"When I came new to a research group and managed to solve a tricky problem in a few weeks that the group had been struggling with for years - that was great!"

Anything in particular you want to be able to understand?

"Just now we're working hard at building tiny nano electrodes to be able to measure how molecules conduct electric current. This is a step towards understanding how molecules transport charges. My gut feeling is that this will be a decisive step towards being able to use molecules that ‘build themselves' in practical applications. This would open up whole new possibilities."

You really radiate enthusiasm - is it always fun to go to work?

"I often say I have the good fortune to work with my greatest interest, so you could just as well ask an ice-cream seller if they always fancy ice cream!"