Dr Rebecca Boston
Lloyd's Register Foundation International Consortium of Nanotechnologies.
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Rebecca Boston Researcher
Nanotechnology is transforming the world, one miniscule step at a time.

Pushing the boundaries - nanotechnology, science and engineering
Imagine working with materials so small the human eye can’t even see them. It might sound like the stuff of science fiction – but thanks in part to the work of the International Consortium of Nanotechnologies (ICON), it’s rapidly becoming science reality.
“Nanotechnology is the study of extremely small things, and it’s at the heart of many of the most exciting developments in engineering and science,” comments Rebecca Boston, a research fellow responsible for supervising two of the 51 PhD students currently supported financially by the consortium. Funded by Lloyd’s Register Foundation, ICON is working across six different areas of nanotechnology and has already connected over 200 individuals and 47 industrial stakeholders – including big companies such as Airbus and LR Group – across 16 countries.
Rebecca’s current research includes how to improve the performance of rechargeable batteries without encountering the scarcity and toxicity issues associated with lithium. But she’s quick to point out that nanotechnology has a huge range of potential applications that have an impact on human safety and wellbeing.
“From purifying water to carrying electricity, and from improving the way drugs are absorbed into the body to protecting humans in automated manufacturing processes, nanotechnology is changing the world,” she adds. “And that process is now being supported and accelerated by ICON, which is bringing the next generation of researchers together. For the first time, scientists like me can build our research groups and collaborate across continents and institutions to ensure that humanity gains the maximum benefit from these incredible technologies.”
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