About
Yvonne Omowunmi-Kayode
Postgraduate Researcher
DCU
Yvonne Omowunmi-Kayode is a PhD researcher in I-Form based at DCU working on the topic of Surface Engineering. She completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Biomedical Engineering at the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at DCU. Her main research interests are in the areas of materials characterisation, laser processing and surface engineering and their use in the biomedical sector.
Technical Summary
The research focuses on developing an understanding of how different laser process parameters can affect the wetting properties and biofouling-resistant properties of a specific material.
Biofouling is the accumulation of micro-organisms on a surface. When a surface is hydrophilic, or has a tendency to attract water, this can lead to formation of biofilms which allow biofouling to occur on a material’s surface. The surface of a material affects the wetting behaviours and fouling-resistance properties of that material. The main aim of this project is to alter the surface to achieve a surface that is both hydrophobic and anti-biofouling using laser texturing techniques whilst still ensuring other key properties of the material are not compromised in the process.