Nano to Micro to Macro ft. Levi Tegg

In this episode

• Why Levi studies ice with an atom probe microscope, as a route to 3D atomic maps of proteins and DNA
• What makes the atom probe different from SEM and TEM: atomic scale, natively 3D, and it tells you which atom is which
• How a six-week summer project on a transmission electron microscope led to a physics PhD and a role at the University of Sydney’s microscopy centre
• The experiment he picked: watching a metal oxide form in a neutron beam in 15 to 20 seconds, not the eight hours the literature suggested
• Why the collaborative side of science is what he enjoys most beyond research
• His three wishes: more ongoing jobs in Australian academia, more varied funding, and a barista for the microscopy facility

Key Takeaways

• Research associate at the Australian Centre for Microscopy & Microanalysis (University of Sydney) using optical, electron and atom-probe microscopy on steels, nanoporous metals, ice and metal oxides.
• Atom probe on cryo-preserved biological samples could give 3D near-atomic maps with per-atom chemical identity of proteins and DNA.
• ‘Love at first image’ with the TEM during an undergrad summer internship set his career.
• Best non-research part: the collaborative, non-secretive nature of science, other labs often already hold the answer.
• Three wishes: more permanent (less casualised) positions in Australia, a more diverse funding landscape with faster small grants, and a dedicated barista for the microscopy facility.

Listen on

About the guest

Levi Tegg is a Research Associate at The University of Sydney in Australia, where he uses advanced microscopes to study the atomic-scale structure of materials, from frozen water in the atom probe to metal oxides and nanoporous metals. He completed his PhD in physics at The University of Newcastle in 2020, studying conductive metal oxide nanoparticles for plasmonics.

Levi Tegg curated the Real Scientists Nano Twitter account (@RealSci_Nano) from July 30 to August 7 2023. Read all of Levi’s tweets from that week.