Synthesis research- An introduction

Research and future challenges in the early 20th century shaped the engineering disciplines as we know them.

Today, we are at the crossroads of changing the economy because of our future challenges and the emerging technologies developed or at the stage of conception.

Scientists and engineers have already developed mechanisms, knowledge of phenomena, and processes to establish new technologies and systems.

That understanding and more profound knowledge bring them in front of a multi-pathway of humanity’s future that includes sustainable energy, food, health, water challenges but also taking off space exploration. Their source of inspiration now is the same as that of the first scientists, the ancient philosophers: nature.

Observing nature and reverse engineering or mimicking its elements’ properties brings a new breath in science and engineering that has a toolkit or a library of existing knowledge and technologies to support what could be “synthesis research”.

The revamped sciences and engineering create new research areas that overlap and unofficially form synthesis research that could lead to the reshuffling of the academic disciplines and, consequently, professions.

Having spoken to:

• physicists who mimic flower properties to self-clean optical materials used in medical devices and create nanoscale photonics to combat urban climate change,
• materials’ engineers creating 3D printed organs to speed up in vitro testing,
• chemical engineers developing and establishing metabolic engineering for natural products, biofuels’ production and understanding cancer metabolism while introducing zeoponics and their possibilities in the next Mars mission,
• mechanical engineers mimicking schools of fish to develop bladeless hydropower, and soon,?
• chemical engineering knowledge boosting astrophysics and assisting cosmology,?

No doubt that synthesis research is already here.

e-mentoring PhDs in STEM helps prospective doctorates in STEM at an application stage or doctorate programme to create portfolio-based actions and deliverables to showcase after finishing their doctorate to move towards their future career (academia, business, start-up).

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