Donald Martin 

Biography

Professor Martin is currently employed by the Fondation RTRA Nanosciences and is a Professor at Université Joseph Fourer. He has a continuing academic appointment at the University of Technology Sydney. His postdoctoral training was at Sydney University as the inaugural Medical Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellow (1988-91) and at St Vincents Hospital (Senior Research Officer, 1991-96) Those positions led to research, published in The Lancet, that implicated macrophage ion channels in plaque rupture in the vasculature by describing a new explanation for the action of macrolide antibiotics in heart disease. That work extended to a study of ion channels on the cell nucleus, with a publication in the Journal of Biological Chemistry in collaboration with immunologists from St Vincent’s Hospital to detail the first isolation and characterisation of a chloride channel protein from the cell nucleus. He is now investigating the function of induced ion channel expression in cell-free systems for application in the field of nanobiotechnology. Those cell-free systems, recently published in Advanced Functional Materials, provide the basis for his conception of the MekaNo project to biomimetically produce energy to provide power for implanted devices. This MekaNo project commenced at the Université Joseph Fourier, Grenoble after Don was awarded an internationally competitive Senior Chaire d’Excellence with funding from the Fondation RTRA Nanosciences (French government). The results of his research are published in more than 70 journal articles and have led to 4 patents. Prof Martin has recently edited a book on nanobiotechnology published by Springer. Professor Martin is currently employed by the Fondation RTRA Nanosciences and is a Professor at Université Joseph Fourer. He has a continuing academic appointment at the University of Technology Sydney. His postdoctoral training was at Sydney University as the inaugural Medical Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellow (1988-91) and at St Vincents Hospital (Senior Research Officer, 1991-96) Those positions led to research, published in The Lancet, that implicated macrophage ion channels in plaque rupture in the vasculature by describing a new explanation for the action of macrolide antibiotics in heart disease. That work extended to a study of ion channels on the cell nucleus, with a publication in the Journal of Biological Chemistry in collaboration with immunologists from St Vincent’s Hospital to detail the first isolation and characterisation of a chloride channel protein from the cell nucleus. He is now investigating the function of induced ion channel expression in cell-free systems for application in the field of nanobiotechnology. Those cell-free systems, recently published in Advanced Functional Materials, provide the basis for his conception of the MekaNo project to biomimetically produce energy to provide power for implanted devices. This MekaNo project commenced at the Université Joseph Fourier, Grenoble after Don was awarded an internationally competitive Senior Chaire d’Excellence with funding from the Fondation RTRA Nanosciences (French government). The results of his research are published in more than 70 journal articles and have led to 4 patents. Prof Martin has recently edited a book on nanobiotechnology published by Springer.

Research Interest

Research Interests: biomedical engineering and nano-biotechnology.