Principal Investigators

Our people

Professor Volker Nock

Professor Volker Nock

Principal Investigator

Towards Zero Waste - Reconfigurable Systems

Phone:
+64 3 369 3366

Address:
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
University of Canterbury
Private Bag 4800
Christchurch

Biography

Volker Nock is a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Co-Director and Principal Investigator of the Biomolecular Interactions Centre at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand.

He holds a Dipl-Ing degree in Microsystem Technology from the University of Freiburg, Germany, and a PhD degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Canterbury. From 2009 to 2012 he was a MacDiarmid Institute and Marsden Research Fellow. He is currently a Principal Investigator with the the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, and theme leader for UC Biosecurity Innovations.

Research interests

Volker's research interests include micro- and nanofabrication, surface patterning and the application of microfluidics to Lab-on-a-Chip devices. He applies engineering technologies to study how biomolecules interact in plants and animals.

Knowledge gained as part of this helps to increase our understanding of how biological systems function when healthy or diseased, enabling us to develop new treatments for plant and animal diseases.

If the lab-on-a-chip works, it will be so exciting and could have a huge impact.

Professor Volker Nock

In the news

News Article

MacDiarmid Institute researchers successful in latest MBIE round

September 20, 2024

The MacDiarmid Institute is pleased to share the following successes from its researchers in this year’s MBIE Endeavour Fund round.

Read more about MacDiarmid Institute researchers successful in latest MBIE round

Annual Report

Journal covers - Annual Report 2023

April 15, 2024

This year, research papers authored by MacDiarmid Investigators have been featured on the front cover of seven international scientific journals.

Read more about Journal covers - Annual Report 2023

Annual Report

Patenting - Annual Report 2023

April 14, 2024

Patent activity undertaken by our researchers in partnership with their respective Technology Transfer Offices.

Read more about Patenting - Annual Report 2023

Annual Report

2023 Funding successes - Annual Report 2023

April 13, 2024

Funding successes for our Investigators and their research programmes during 2023.

Read more about 2023 Funding successes - Annual Report 2023

Annual Report

Funding successes - Annual Report 2022

April 19, 2023

Funding successes for our investigators and their research programmes during 2022. This funding enables our researchers and collaborators to continue their breakthrough research in advanced materials and nanotechnology.

Read more about Funding successes - Annual Report 2022

News Article

2022 MacDiarmid Institute Marsden grant successes

November 3, 2022

MacDiarmid Institute led research received $7.84 million funding in 2022 Te Pūtea Rangahau a Marsden, the Marsden Fund.

Read more about 2022 MacDiarmid Institute Marsden grant successes

Annual Report

Funding successes - Annual Report 2021

May 9, 2022

Funding successes for our investigators and their research programmes during 2021. This funding enables our researchers and collaborators to continue their breakthrough research in advanced materials and nanotechnology.

Read more about Funding successes - Annual Report 2021

Annual Report

The emerging field of mechanobiology

March 31, 2021

Physics biology collaborations are forging mechanobiology – a research area key to understanding health and disease.

Read more about The emerging field of mechanobiology

Annual Report

Summer studentships for our DiscoveryCamp and Discovery Scholarship Alumni

March 30, 2021

Summer studentship descriptions for our DiscoveryCamp and Discovery Scholarship Alumni.

Read more about Summer studentships for our DiscoveryCamp and Discovery Scholarship Alumni

Annual Report

Funding successes - Annual Report 2020

March 24, 2021

Funding successes for our investigators and their research programmes during 2020. This funding enables our researchers and collaborators to continue their breakthrough research in advanced materials and nanotechnology.

Read more about Funding successes - Annual Report 2020

Annual Report

Patents and Spinouts 2019 - Annual Report 2019

May 27, 2020

This article from our 2019 Annual Report provides information about the MacDiarmid Institute's latest inventions, patents and spinouts.

Read more about Patents and Spinouts 2019 - Annual Report 2019

Annual Report

Funding successes - Annual Report 2019

May 26, 2020

Funding successes for our investigators and their research programmes during 2019. This funding enables our researchers and collaborators to continue their breakthrough research in advanced materials and nanotechnology.

Read more about Funding successes - Annual Report 2019

News Article

MacDiarmid researchers successful in 2019 MBIE round

October 25, 2019

Seven MacDiarmid Institute Investigators have been awarded $20.29 million funding for their research through MBIE Endeavour fund.

Read more about MacDiarmid researchers successful in 2019 MBIE round

News Article

Protecting our native trees with lab-on-a-chip research

October 10, 2019

Principal Investigator Dr Volker Nock was awarded a Rutherford Discovery Fellowship to research fungi that spread disease to native trees.

Read more about Protecting our native trees with lab-on-a-chip research

Annual Report

Feeling the force of fungi to stop it killing our forests - Annual Report 2018

April 8, 2019

In 2018 the government announced a $13million funding boost for research to combat the spread of kauri dieback and myrtle rust. Could microfluidics be the solutions we are looking for?

Read more about Feeling the force of fungi to stop it killing our forests - Annual Report 2018

Annual Report

Connecting with researchers at UCLA - Annual Report 2018

April 8, 2019

The discovery of conducting polymers – plastics that conduct electricity – won New Zealander Alan MacDiarmid the Nobel Prize in 2000.

Read more about Connecting with researchers at UCLA - Annual Report 2018

Annual Report

New Principal Investigators - Annual Report 2018

April 8, 2019

An overview of the research interests of each of our eight new Principal Investigators.

Read more about New Principal Investigators - Annual Report 2018

Annual Report

2018 funding successes - Annual Report 2018

April 8, 2019

Funding successes for our investigators and their research programmes during 2018. This funding enables our researchers and collaborators to continue their breakthrough research in advanced materials and nanotechnology.

Read more about 2018 funding successes - Annual Report 2018

In The Media

Feeling the force of fungi to stop it killing our forests

November 20, 2018

Could microfluidics be the solution we are looking for to combat the spread of kauri dieback and myrtle rust?

Read more about Feeling the force of fungi to stop it killing our forests

News Article

MacDiarmid researchers successful in latest MBIE round

September 14, 2018

The MacDiarmid Institute is pleased to share the following successes from MacDiarmid researchers in this year’s MBIE Endeavour fund round.

Read more about MacDiarmid researchers successful in latest MBIE round

News Article

New Principal Investigators

August 27, 2018

The MacDiarmid Institute proudly welcomes eight new principal investigators.

Read more about New Principal Investigators

Annual Report

1.6 Using physics to boost New Zealand’s milk powder export industry - Annual Report 2017

May 18, 2018

Unlike most of us, when physicist Dr Geoff Willmott thinks about milk, he thinks about droplets, surfaces and heat - and he’s eager to use surface interactions to solve problems in the dairy industry.

Read more about 1.6 Using physics to boost New Zealand’s milk powder export industry - Annual Report 2017

Podcasts

Research could find answers to kauri dieback and myrtle rust

Research could find answers to kauri dieback and myrtle rust

October 23, 2019

Dr Volker Nock went on RNZ's Afternoons to discuss his research finding answers to kauri dieback and myrtle rust.

Read more about Research could find answers to kauri dieback and myrtle rust