Exoskeleton of beetles
In her recent Veni project, Tran studies the beetle’s exoskeleton Chrysina gloriosa. Natural structures in this beetle’s exoskeleton create its green appearance. The beetle makes the structures from a biological polymer called chitin and the color does not change when you look at it from different angles. Tran is working on a method to simulate the exoskeleton of these beetles in the lab. She does this by checking the structure of particles made from biopolymers. The findings form the basis for the development of strong and biodegradable alternatives for paint materials.
Cooling coatings
Coatings are not only important for paint, but can also save energy. Climate change is causing temperatures to rise and energy is increasingly being used to cool buildings. This increased energy consumption can be reduced with coatings that scatter sunlight. As a result, buildings absorb less energy than they radiate. In an interdisciplinary project for Science for Sustainability, partly supervised by Tran, researchers are trying to understand the structure of the white scarab beetle (Cyphochilus insulanus) for the development of cooling coatings.
Science at its best
Lisa Tran is very honored to have been selected as a member of the Utrecht Young Academy. “I look forward to learning from colleagues from other fields,” she says. “In my own research, I see that science is at its best in an open and collaborative form. I therefore believe that the university must continue to facilitate a welcoming and interdisciplinary environment.”
