Rate My Professor Fiona Meldrum

Meldrum's research centers on bio-inspired materials chemistry, particularly inorganic crystallisation processes. Her group develops strategies to control the polymorph, size, morphology, organisation, and mechanical properties of inorganic and organic crystals, drawing inspiration from biological systems such as seashells, bones, and teeth. Techniques include using additives like block copolymers, precipitation within moulds, amorphous precursor phases, and crystallisation in confined volumes or microfluidic systems for in situ analysis with synchrotron methods. They produce composite crystals incorporating polystyrene particles, pigments, drugs, and oils, and study mechanical properties via nanoindentation. As principal investigator, she leads projects including Crystallisation in the Real World: Delivering Control through Theory and Experiment, DYNAMIN: Dynamic Control of Mineralisation, and Flow-Xl: A New UK Facility for Analysis of Crystallisation in Flow Systems. Meldrum received the Royal Society of Chemistry Interdisciplinary Prize in 2017 for advancing crystallisation control and bio-inspired materials. Key publications include "Controlling Mineral Morphologies and Structures in Biological and Synthetic Systems" (Chemical Reviews, 2008, with H. Cölfen), "Confinement generates single-crystal aragonite rods at room temperature" (PNAS, 2018), and "Droplet Microfluidics XRD Identifies Effective Nucleating Agents for Calcium Carbonate" (Advanced Functional Materials, 2019). She chaired the MRS Bulletin Editorial Board.