Dr Declan Mary Colbert is a research engineer working within the PRISM Research Institute in TUS. Declan holds a BSc (hons) in Pharmaceutical Science awarded by Athlone Institute of Technology and a PhD in Polymer Engineering awarded by the Technological University of the Shannon. Declan’s PhD focused on the development of long-term sustained release devices for the supplementation of cattle, work which was subsequently awarded an Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Fund (€199,981). The developed technology, POLYBO, was granted the award for Research Emerging from 3rd Level at the 2023 Innovation Arena at the National Ploughing Championships.
Declan also has a keen research interest in biopolymers, specifically focused on those derived from macroalgae (seaweed). Partnering with industry, Declan developed a mechano-green synthesis process for the production of a seaweed-based thermoplastic that is readily applicable to several melt-processing techniques. This work has been granted an Enterprise Ireland Innovation Partnership (€150,000), a Capital Equipment Grant (€100,000) and is forms 1/3 of a recently submitted Horizon Europe Project application (€850,000). Dr Colbert’s efforts in sustainable research aiming to improve the Irish Bioeconomy has recently been recognized at the All Island Bioeconomy Summit where he was named Top Bioeconomy Young Talent.
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