Transcript
[Music plays and an image appears of a Malcom McIntosh Prize, Physical Scientist of the Year medallion above text: Distinguished Professor Tianyi Ma, PHD FRSC]
[Image changes to show a close view of Distinguished Professor Tianyi Ma talking to the camera and then a wide view of Tianyi Ma talking to the camera]
Distinguished Professor Tianyi Ma: One question I always ask myself is why certain materials, certain molecules exist and what their function is in our lives.
[Music plays as images move through to show the side of Tianyi Ma’s face, Tianyi Ma using a crocodile clip and wire, and then Tianyi Ma with the wired project]
[Image changes to show Tianyi Ma talking to the camera, and then a wide view of Tianyi Ma talking to the camera, and then text appears: Distinguished Professor Tianyi Ma]
I'm Tianyi Ma, a Distinguished Professor in the Centre for Atomaterials and Nanomanufacturing School of Science at RMIT University.
[Images move through to show Tianyi Ma talking with a female colleague in a laboratory, Tianyi Ma’s hand touching the laptop’s screen to enlarge an image, and then the female colleague nodding]
I'm leading a group working on harvesting, conversion, storage and application of renewable energy sources.
[Image changes to show Tianyi Ma talking to the camera, and then the image changes to show a wide view of Tianyi Ma talking to the camera]
My team focuses on not only fundamental science breakthrough but also technology translation.
[Images move through to show Tianyi Ma talking to the camera, various views of the female colleague’s hands adjusting clear tubes, and then Tianyi Ma working with the female colleague]
This led me to explore a concept of photocatalysis. It can directly convert solar energy into chemical energy that is stored in small molecules like hydrogen.
[Image changes to show Tianyi Ma talking to the camera, and then the image changes to show a wide view of Tianyi Ma talking to the camera]
My team pioneers a polarisation method that can efficiently increase the photocatalysis performance by up to 100 times.
[Images move through to show various views of Tianyi Ma talking to the camera, various views of
Tianyi Ma’s and a colleague’s hands touching the tubes, and then Tianyi Ma with two colleagues]
We then made one of the first square metre sized hydrogen generator. This technology can largely lower down the cost of producing green hydrogen.
[Image changes to show medium and close views of Tianyi Ma talking to the camera]
I also focused my work on carbon capture, utilisation and storage.
[Images move through to show Tianyi Ma holding touching a machine, bubbles rising in a clear liquid in a small bottle, and then Tianyi Ma’s hand using a drill]
My team integrates a CO2 capture from industry processes with CO2 upgrading into value added chemicals.
[Images move through to show a male colleague looking at a piece of lab equipment, a close view of Tianyi Ma talking to the camera, and then a wide view of Tianyi Ma talking to the camera]
This is one of the most important processes to help us to achieve net zero for Australia and also globally.
[Music plays as image changes to show a close view of Tianyi Ma, camera pans out to show Tianyi Ma studying a clear box with a pattern in it]
[Images move through to show Tianyi Ma talking to the camera, various views of Tianyi Ma working outdoors with other colleagues, kneeling at a large plastic reservoir filled with water, and then a hand pointing at plastic tubes being held up]
Teamwork and collaboration are fundamental to our success. Mentoring or supervision of next generation researchers,
[Image changes to show a male colleague smiling, and then image changes to show a hand moving the floating photocatalysis mechanism through the water]
their passion gives me more courage to focus on this renewable energy pathway.
[Image changes to show a wide view of Tianyi Ma talking to the camera, and then the image changes to show a close view of Tianyi Ma talking to the camera]
Receiving this Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year is an outstanding recognition for not only myself but also the whole team.
[Image changes to shows Tianyi Ma in the laboratory with the female colleague, and then image changes to show hands touching the clear tubes]
It gives us a renewed sense of hope for the work we have been doing.
[Images move through to show Tianyi Ma and the female coworker working, Tianyi Ma talking to the camera, hands using a laptop, and Tianyi Ma talking]
The diverse background and expertise of the team members at RMIT lead to a strong, inclusive and far-reaching scientific progress.
[Image changes to show Tianyi Ma smiling at the camera]
It's a mixture of minds to create a better future, better solution of renewable energy.
[Music plays and the image changes to show the Malcom McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year medallion, with the Australian Government Coat of Arms in the bottom right corner, and text appears: 2024 Malcom McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year, Celebrating 25 years]
