Celebrating Stoddart: Alumni Reflections
Carson Bruns, a 2013 Ph.D. graduate from the Stoddart and Stupp Labs, is now a faculty member at the ATLAS Institute at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he directs the Laboratory for Emergent Nanomaterials. During his time at Northwestern Chemistry, Bruns co-authored The Nature of the Mechanical Bond with Stoddart and collaborated on a novel class of slide-ring polymers. These "beads-on-a-string" materials exhibit remarkable mechanical and rheological properties, making them valuable for applications in gels, glasses, and beyond.
How did your time in the Department and your interactions with Fraser Stoddart influence your approach to creativity and collaboration in chemistry?
Fraser taught me the value of collaboration from day 1 of joining NU Chemistry when he told me to "ride on someone's coattails" (meaning, "find a mentor" - one of his many "Fraserisms", as I like to call them) and introduced me to a postdoc in the lab who would teach me how to synthesize rotaxanes and become a long-time collaborator. I don't think I ever heard Fraser talk about competition, only collaboration.
When it comes to creativity, Fraser led by example; he was meticulous about crafting visually appealing slide decks and publication figures and well known for the unique visual signature of his work. When he invited us to his home for group meetings, I noticed that it was decorated wall-to-wall with beautiful paintings and that his most prominent piece of furniture was a piano! Fraser advocated feeding one's creativity even outside the domain of chemistry and I have taken that attitude to heart.
What is a memorable experience or piece of advice from Stoddart that shaped your career?
Another ‘Fraserism’ I am fond of is to "take things like water off a duck's back", which is equivalent, I think, to a more familiar colloquialism of "having thick skin". Fraser was well loved and well respected of course, but he also received plenty of helpings of criticism, as pioneers do. He taught me not to take it personally when bad news, rejection, and even insults or controversy come my way. These less than pleasant moments are unavoidable; Fraser showed me that lingering on unpleasantries interferes with the things we love about science. By taking things like water off a duck's back, we can stay focused on what we love to do and what matters most to us.
Stoddart was known for his exceptional mentorship. What lessons have you carried into your own mentoring approach?
What stood out to me about Fraser was that he always seemed to have time for me, even while advising 40 other researchers and carrying out the many responsibilities of a professor. Our conversations never felt rushed or hurried; he was fully present while scribbling his hand-written notes on yellow paper. His generosity of spirit in giving time and attention to students is something I strive to emulate.
What exciting discoveries or challenges are you currently exploring in your lab?
As I was entering my independent career, I had a light-bulb moment when it occurred to me that tattoo pigments are essentially permanent nano-implants, but unlike conventional biomedical implants you don't need a doctor or surgery to receive one. That simple realization inspired me to consider how we might use the tools of nanomaterials chemistry to re-imagine and re-design tattoo pigments as biomedical implants, imbuing them with new functions that may confer beneficial functions to the skin and body. Now, "smart tattoos" are a major research direction in my lab; we are developing all kinds of tattooable nanomaterials that give people new abilities ranging from radiation sensing and ultraviolet protection to re-writable body art (https://magic.ink).
Do you have a hobby or activity that inspires your scientific work?
Much like Fraser, I love the visual arts. I make art as a hobby, especially paintings and tattoos. My interest in tattoos and body art is what inspired me to think about ways to merge nanoscience with biomedical engineering using the ancient art of tattooing as a medium.