Despite divergent scientific training, Elena Shevchenko (left) and Elena Rozhkova have much in common besides their given name. Both grew up in Russia, did postdocs in the United States and moved to Chicago to find new opportunities. Each is now eager to tap into the other's expertise as they join Argonne National Laboratory's new NanoBio Interfaces group at the Center for Nanoscale Materials (CNM) to jointly develop novel materials. See CV

Shevchenko is the nanotech expert. She studied synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles for her PhD at the University of Hamburg in Germany before turning to self-assembly of nanoparticles at both the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center and Columbia University in New York. She pioneered the use of nanometre-scale forces and charges to create structures with novel optical and electrical properties from dissimilar inorganic materials such as semiconductors and gold. Her success with superlattice structures prompted a move to the Molecular Foundry at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California. Now she wants to integrate biological components into her inorganic research.

“We'd like to do design multicomponent materials using both inorganic substrates as well as viruses or proteins to see what properties can be extracted from such materials,” says Shevchenko.

Rozhkova brings the biological perspective to the group. A bioorganic chemist, she left Russia after receiving a fellowship from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science to study biological electron-transfer systems. She then moved to Princeton University in New Jersey to continue her studies of biological reactions. Then, at the University of Chicago, she began work on nanocomposites based on biologically inspired processes. “It has been a challenge throughout my career to decide whether I wanted to work in bioorganic synthesis or chemical biology,” says Rozhkova. “But I feel those combined skills will serve us well as we develop new materials.”

Although Argonne will focus their research efforts on energy-related problems, these nanobio materials are likely to find multiple uses. Eric Isaacs, director of the CNM, is eager to explore the potential of these materials not only in solar energy conversion, but as 'smart' composites that can deliver an inorganic particle to destroy a specific cancer cell. Given the wide-ranging, multidisciplinary goals of this new programme, Isaacs says Argonne is fortunate to recruit two scientists with such complementary talents.