{"id":21658,"date":"2015-08-03T13:11:52","date_gmt":"2015-08-03T13:11:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/?p=21658"},"modified":"2015-08-03T13:13:22","modified_gmt":"2015-08-03T13:13:22","slug":"designer-spotlight-simon-lang","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/designer-spotlight-simon-lang","title":{"rendered":"Designer Spotlight: Simon Lang"},"content":{"rendered":"

This week we are featuring Simon Lang<\/a>, a chemistry enthusiast (to say the least) who has taken his life work and applied it to everyday life. Using molecules for merchandise, Simon has a shop full of beautiful science – find your favorite molecule and wear it around your neck, on a keychain, or simply hold it in your hand!<\/p>\n

Tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? Where are you located?<\/em>
\nMy name is Simon Lang and I live near Basel in Switzerland. I studied chemistry at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW).\u00a0My thesis “Immunosuppressive Drugs and their Interaction with the Efflux Transporter P-Glycoprotein” won the Dr. Max L\u00fcthi Award<\/a> in 2009. After some travels I went to the University of Basel to obtain my PHD, but during the first four to five weeks I stopped and turned my attention to things more inspiring. That way I learned to build websites, design stuff and produce music<\/a>. One of the results was the moleculestore<\/a>: t-shirts and hoodies for chemists. Over the years I expanded the product line with bags, mugs, wall clocks, shower curtains and last but not least 3D printed molecule keychains and jewelry produced by Shapeways.<\/p>\n

\"moleculestore\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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What’s the story behind your designs? What inspires you?<\/em>
\nPretty simple: nature. I don\u2019t modify the molecules. Stereochemistry<\/a> (meaning the three-dimensionality of molecules) is very important for the biological activity of molecules. Only the right configuration will have an effect in e.g. the human body. After I have found the right stereoisomer I let a program calculate the orientation of the molecule with the lowest energy (geometry optimization). This way we get the molecule in its most probable state. That\u2019s why our molecules are the real deal and not the simplified and flattened molecules seen so many times on keychains and necklaces.<\/p>\n

What brought you to 3D printing with Shapeways?<\/em>
\nI was looking for a way to get my molecules 3D printed in various materials. After some investigation I found Shapeways to offer the best service.<\/p>\n