A young UC Davis chemical engineer exploring new ways to change the properties of water-based solutions using light and electricity has received a national show of appreciation and encouragement with a $500,000 fellowship from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Nicholas Abbott, an assistant professor of chemical engineering and materials science, was named one of 20 of the most promising science and engineering researchers at universities around the country by the Los Altos-based foundation. Abbott and his laboratory colleagues are investigating new ways to change the properties of water-based solutions. The aim is to develop molecules in these solutions that respond to external stimuli such as light or electrical fields and that change their physical structure as needed. A solution containing these molecules, for example, may be used to mobilize oils in one location and then release them in another. Other potential uses include controlling the delivery of drugs, wetting and coating of substances for cleaning processes, and stabilizing emulsions. In some cases, they might be used as recyclable solutions for industrial purposes.