{"id":1367,"date":"2021-04-14T19:34:12","date_gmt":"2021-04-15T02:34:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/communicatingscience20t2w212\/?p=1367"},"modified":"2021-04-14T19:34:12","modified_gmt":"2021-04-15T02:34:12","slug":"replacing-uv-lights-with-a-green-alternative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/communicatingscience20t2w212\/2021\/04\/14\/replacing-uv-lights-with-a-green-alternative\/","title":{"rendered":"Replacing UV Lights with a “Green” Alternative"},"content":{"rendered":"

With summer just around the corner, it’s nearing that time of year where we start slapping on sunscreen to protect ourselves. After all, it’s well known that ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun can damage our DNA<\/a>. Despite this, UV light is still used for all sorts of applications \u2013 ranging from UV lamps at nail salons, to the hardening of resins<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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A UV lamp in action. Source: cottonbro, Pexel.<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

The question remains: is it necessary to use UV light in these processes?<\/p>\n

Good news: no!<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Alternatives to UV light for similar processes have been recently identified by researchers. One such researcher is Taylor Wright, a graduate student at the University of British Columbia. In 2020, Wright developed a safe, low-cost method<\/a> which uses harmless green LED lights instead of UV light. Wanting to learn more about this research, we sat down for an interview with Wright.<\/p>\n

Into the details of cross-linking<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The previously mentioned applications (UV lamps, resin hardening) are examples of a process called cross-linking.<\/em> For an explanation of cross-linking, as well as a walkthrough of Wright’s cross-linking method of a material called polydimethylsiloxane<\/a> (PDMS), please refer to the following video:<\/span><\/p>\n