John R. Dutcher

John R. Dutcher is a Professor and Research Chair in Novel Sustainable Nanomaterials at the University of Guelph's Department of Physics. His work bridges soft matter physics, biophysics, and sustainable nanotechnology through experimental studies of polymers, biopolymers, and bacterial systems at surfaces and interfaces.

• PhD in Condensed Matter Physics (Simon Fraser University, 1989)
• NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow (University of Arizona, 1989-1990)
• Director of University of Guelph’s B.Sc. Nanoscience program

Research focuses on:

• Phytoglycogen nanoparticles from sweet corn for biomedical/personal care applications
• Machine learning analysis of polymer degradation in cross-linked pipes
• Bacterial motility and biofilm formation via optical microscopy
• Hydration forces and mechanical properties of nanomaterials

His lab employs state-of-the-art equipment including AFMs, SPRi, and rheometers, with industrial partnerships like HeatLink. Recent publications analyze β-VAE applications in IR spectroscopy, acid hydrolysis effects on nanomaterials, and bacterial colony dynamics.

Scientific honors include:

• Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Soft Matter and Biological Physics (2006)
• Fellow, American Physical Society (2007)
• University of Guelph Innovation of the Year (2017)

He has co-founded spin-off company Mirexus Biotechnologies and mentored over 50 graduate/undergraduate researchers, with alumni holding faculty positions at Waterloo, McMaster, and Lakehead University.

Lab facilities include:

• Custom self-nulling ellipsometer
• TA Instruments DHR-3 rheometer
• Brookhaven BI200-SM light scattering system
• Thermo/Nicolet Continuum infrared microscope
• Wyatt SEC-MALS system
• Advanced microbiology/Biophysics equipment