Meet the group | rastonlab

July 2023 Research Group
Left to right (top to bottom): Zoe Gardner, Adele Mastroyannis, Shan He, Colin Raston, Badriah Alotaibi, Fayed Alrashaidi
Amjad Alotaibi, Anbarah Alzahrani, Safira Barros, Xuejiao Cao, Khamaael Fayyadh, and Xuan Luo.
Absent: Kasturi Vimalanathan, Thaar Alharbi.

Kasturi Vimalanathan completed a BSc (Chemistry) at Curtin University of Technology and thereafter a MSc (Chemistry) at the University of Western Australia under the supervision of Professor Colin Raston. Upon achievement of a privately funded scholarship (2013), she is currently completing a PhD (Chemistry) under the guidance of Professor Colin Raston at Flinders University. Her PhD focuses on the fabrication and self-assembly of novel carbon materials and their applications.

Area of research: Materials Chemistry, Ph.D.

Hobbies: Tennis, Badminton and Yoga

Favourite TV Program: Game Of Thrones

Quote: "Plan your work and work your plan"

Email: kasturi.vimalanathan@flinders.edu.au

Dr. Kasturi Vimalanathan

Ms. Safira Moura Barros

Mrs. Safira Moura Barros received a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from Universidade Federal da Bahia, Brazil in 2016. During this period, she was an exchange research student for one year at University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK in 2014. Following on from this, she worked in the private sector on Process Safety and then Business Innovation. Now undertaking her PhD under the supervision of Professor Colin Raston and Youhong Tang, her field of research is organic/inorganic chemical reaction and catalysis under continuous flow for the biofuel industry.

Area of research: Sustainable biofuel production, Ph.D.

Hobbies: Volleyball, hiking, any outdoors activity.

Favourite TV Program: Friends.

Quote: “Not all those who wonder are lost” - J.R.R. Tolkien.

Food: Any Vegetarian food.

Email: safira.barros@flinders.edu.au

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/safirabarros

Adele Mastroyannis received a Bachelor of Marine Biology in 2011 at Flinders University. She then pursued a master’s in biotechnology, followed by a Masters in Secondary School teaching, with a focus on science, maths and home economics to middle school students. Adele is currently completing a PhD in Marine Biotechnology with Prof. Colin Raston, Assoc. Prof. Kirsten Heimann and Prof. Catherine Abbott. The project is titled, ‘Biorefinery of South Australian Brown Seaweed Polyphenols and their applications in skin health’. Current collaborations are with Wonderful Capital Biotechnology Group, and the ARC ITTC Green Chemistry in Manufacturing.

Area of research: Marine Biotechnology; bioprocessing and bioproducts.

Hobbies: Sport and being around animals.

Favourite TV Program:

Quote: Don’t give up

Food: Lasagne, nachos, and wine.

Email: mast0080@flinders.edu.au

Ms. Adele Mastroyannis

Dr. Xuan Luo

Dr Xuan Luo (PhD MedBiotech and Nanotech, M MedBiotech) received her PhD from Flinders University-2019. For her thesis on fabrication of biomedical nano-materials using Vortex Fluidic Devices (VFD) she was awarded the Flinders University PhD award. She then worked as a postdoctoral researcher on vortex-fluidic-mediated processing on biomaterial composites for biocatalysis. Since 2019, her research has resulted in a number of awards, funding and fellowships, including the award of Overseas Travel Fellowship from Australian Nanotechnology Network in 2019, Flinders University Research Investment Fund in 2022 and Emerging Research Leader Early Career Researcher Award in 2022. Her current research program includes multiple projects to develop biosensor platforms with novel immobilisation and membrane fabrication technology for the environmental and diagnostic industries.

Area of research: Bio-nanotechnology and biochemistry.

Hobby: jigsaw puzzle

Favourite TV Program: The Big Bang Theory

Quote: "The harder you fall, the higher you bounce"

Food: Hotpot

Email: xuan.luo@flinders.edu.au

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xuan-luo-9069176b/

Twitter: @Xuan_Luo12 (https://twitter.com/Xuan_Luo12)

Ms. Zoe Gardner

Miss Zoe Gardner received a Bachelor of Science (Clean Technology) from Flinders University in 2019, during which she received a New Columbo Plan scholarship to research at the Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone research in Shandong, China. She was awarded a university medal for her outstanding academic results through her undergraduate degree. In 2020 she completed her Honours degree under the supervision of Professor Colin Raston, researching into Indium and Gallium Nanomaterials processing under high shear for which she achieved a first-class honours degree. Now undertaking her PhD, her field of research is in small molecular synthesis under flow and understanding the fluid flow at sub-micron dimensions.

Area of Research: Small molecular chemistry under flow, nanomaterial synthesis.

Hobbies: Running, Hiking, Yoga, Guitar and Painting.

Favourite TV Program: Game of Thrones (Read all the books too)

Quote: "Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” – Marie Skłodowska-Curie

Food: Anything vegan!

Email: zoe.gardner@flinders.edu.au

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoegardner/?originalSubdomain=au

Mr. Spencer Petticrew recently completed a Bachelor of Science from Flinders University in 2017. He is currently undertaking his Honours research under the supervision of Professor Colin Raston focusing on the fabrication of Tellurium materials under shear stress.

Area of Research: Materials Chemistry, Hons.

Hobbies: Ice & Inline Hockey

Favourite TV Program: The Mighty Boosh

Quote: It’s not worth doing something unless someone, somewhere, would much rather you weren’t doing it – Terry Pratchett

Email: pett0102@flinders.edu.au

Mr. Spencer Petticrew

Clarence obtained his BEng Honours degree in Biomedical Engineering at Flinders University in 2015. His current research area and research interest for his PhD with Professor Youhong Tang and Professor Colin Raston are on the amalgamation of AIEgens with the vortex fluidic device microfluidic platform for biomedical applications.

Area of Research: AIEgens with VFD, PhD

Hobby: Racket sports

Favourite TV Program: Planet Earth

Quote: “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”

Food: Pasta, meat and rice

Email: clarence.chuah@flinders.edu.au

Mr. Clarence Chuah

Caroline is currently undertaking her 4th and final year of a Bachelor of Science (Enhanced Program for High Achievers) (Honours) at Flinders University. She is doing her honours project under the supervision of Professor Colin Raston. The project is focused on oxidation of organic molecules under flow.

Area of Research: Oxidation under flow, Hons

Hobby: Sewing, baking, and crafts

Favourite TV Program: The Good Place

Food: Sukiyaki.

Email: caroline.andersson@flinders.edu.au

Ms. Caroline Andersson

Ms. Badriah Alotaibi received a Bachelor of Science (Chemistry) from Saudi Arabia. Following on from this, she successfully completed the master program under the Supervision of Professor Colin Raston 2021, researching into reduction of gold nanomaterial in water processing under high shear. She was awarded a chancellor’s letter commendation for her outstanding academic results through her master’s degree. Now undertaking her PhD, his field of research is inorganic chemistry and 2D nanomaterial.

Area of Research: Inorganic chemistry and 2D nanomaterial, Ph.D.

Hobby: sport- Photograph

Favourite TV Program: Friends

Food: Pasta.

Email: alot0239@flinders.edu.au

Ms. Badriah Alotaibi

Ms. Khamaael Fayyadh

Khamaael Fayyadh is a PhD student at Flinders University in South Australia under the supervision of a Professor Colin Raston. She completed a master's in the preparation of organic compounds and their biological applications and the study of their evaluation of Bacterial Activity. She has an interest in academic research and have also received many awards as a result of her interest in scientific research. She worked at Tikrit university then After her master's degree, she worked as a chemical researcher in the laboratories of Tikrit University. Part of her project in PhD is about preparing Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and their multiple applications in your vortex Fluidic device (VFD) using non-toxic materials and environmentally friendly solvents for a sustainable green environment.

Area of Research: nanotechnology, green chemistry into MOFs and its application biochemistry.

Hobby: Yoga, hiking

Favourite TV Program: The Morning Show, Friends

Quote: knowledge has a beginning but no end.

Food: Pizza, fish.

Email: fayy0007@flinders.edu.au

Mr. Gemedi Wako

Mr. Gemedi Wako graduated with Bachelor of science in 2020 at Flinders University. He is really passionate about how organic reaction works in both nature and synthetic form, so he shifted studied more organic chemistry than others in science and engineering department at Flinders University. However, he easily engaged with other chemistry through time, so study chemistry gives him more fun and passionate in life. After finished with his bachelor’s degree, he decided to continue with Master of science to understand atomic level, but this time start with new plans and new strategies to make a difference, so he decide to join Green Chemistry. In 2021, he studied VFD processing with 2020 and 2021 red wines, which was so interesting how mechanical energy applied centrifugally during VFD processing to change the chemistry of wines, e.g., aroma, flavours of the wine to get more expensive in the market, so he had best time for four months in total at Raston lab. However, this year he is doing completely different things, reducing sugars (glucose/fructose) into nano carbons- this needs more understanding chemistry basic and advanced level in order to achieve- fun and challenges.

Area of Research: synthesis of nano carbons/ medicinal chemistry.

Hobby: writing, playing soccer/ table tennis, listening country song

Favourite TV Program: The Big Bang Theory

Quote: “never too late if you don’t stop”.

Food: Ethiopian Doro wat.

Email: wako0004@flinders.edu.au

Ms. Xuejiao Cao

Ms. Xuejiao Cao received a Bachelor of Food Quality and Safety from Yangtze University, China in 2014. Upon completion of her bachelor’s, she completed her Master’s degree, with a major in Food Storage and Processing at Guangzhou University, China. She visited Raton’s lab for 6 months at Flinders University, Australia, to focus on bio-material fabrication using a Vortex Fluid Device (VFD) and had published 3 papers in an international journal during her master’s study period. She is currently undertaking her PhD project under the supervision of Professor Colin Raston and Youhong Tang, where her field of research is in relation to the fabrication of bio-safe materials using vortex fluidics for the cosmetic industry.

Area of Research: Fabrication of bio-safe materials using vortex fluidics

Hobby: Running, Guitar, Calligraphy.

Favourite TV Program: Modern Family

Quote: “Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value” - Albert Einstein.

Food: Hot Pot, Cheese.

Email: cao0167@flinders.edu.au

Mrs. Anbarah Alzahrani received a Master of Science from Flinders University, South Australia in 2021. The Master research was focusing on the organic solar cell and their stability. Now undertaking her PhD, her field of research is Carbon nanotubes in vortex fluidic device (VFD) and using of carbon nanotubes in solar cell devices. Her goal always is to make difference on people in a positive way. Teaching was a good way to accomplish this goal by motivating and encouraging students to work hard and find goals and achievement in their life no matter how much is this achievement.

Hobby: Cooking, watching documentaries in criminology and archaeology.

Quote: “never put off till tomorrow what can be done today“.

Food: Pasta, rice and meat.

Email: alza0157@flinders.edu.au

Mrs. Anbarah Alzahrani