Sheldon Opps 

Biography

He did his Phd from Guelph and is the professor of Physics Department in UPEI, Canda.

Research Interest

Dr. Opps' main research program focuses on the properties of complex fluids (including water) or what is termed “soft condensed matter”. Soft-condensed matter refers to materials which are “squishy”, such as glue, oil, soap, silly-putty, etc. Recently, he has been investigating the following phenomenon in polymeric systems: equilibrium and non-equilibrium properties of Langmuir monolayers, coil-globule transitions for isolated polymers in solvent, helix- coil transitions for simple peptide chains, and isotropic to nematic transitions in liquid crystal films. Polymers are composed of a series of “beads” which are linked together to form a flexible chain (a cartoon depiction of a caterpillar comes to mind). These polymeric systems have practical applications in thin-film technology and copier/reproduction technologies. They also have environmental applications, such as employing biofilms in soil remediation processes (which links well with UPEI’s expertise in ecotoxicology). Additionally, this research has vital biomedical implications. For example, since Langmuir monolayers are model systems for more complex biological membranes, the studies on hole formation are relevant for understanding processes such as membrane rupture or cell lysis. These studies are also important in understanding the function of lung surfactant monolayers during the compression-expansion cycle of breathing where, as noted in Ref. [32], the system changes from a two to three-dimensional structure. Such investigations could shed light into the mechanisms responsible for Respiratory Distress Syndrome, which occurs in pre-mature infants where there is insufficient surfactant lining the alveoli in the lungs.