Zoe Pikramenou is Professor of Inorganic Chemistry and Photophysics at the University of Birmingham, where she is the first female professor in the chemistry department.[1]
Platelet actin nodules are podosome-like structures.
Pikramenou is a inorganic chemist with experience in nanotechnology and photophysics, who has researched lanthanide luminescent complexes.[citation needed] Recent research has investigated how gold nanorods could be applied to treat cancerous cells in the body.[3] This research is in partnership with the Canadian company Sona Nanotech Inc.[4] Pikramenou has researched other applications of gold nanoparticles, including their use in tracking blood flow in capillary networks.[5] She was part of a team that developed iridium-coated gold nanoparticles, significant because they have a longer lifetime of use.[6] She has co-investigated platelet nodules, using microscopy.[7]
Another medical application of Pikramenou's nanoparticle research includes the application of coated silica particles to treat sensitive teeth.[8] As part of her doctoral research at Michigan State University, Pikramenou invented a nanoparticle bucket, which lights up when in contains a particular compound.[9] This kind of microscopic bucket is described as a supramolecule.[9]
Coated nanoparticles patent
In 2017, Pikramenou and her co-researcher Nicola J Rogers, were granted a patent to protect their invention of a new process of combining at least one metal complex and a surfactant.[10]
