Research Lab #5:  Biomimetic Phase Interfaces Lab

PI:  Prof. Noah Malmstad (Chemical Engineering, Materials Science and Biomedical Engineering)

Lab Overview:
This lab is focused on using engineering techniques to build minimal cell- and tissue-like structures from simple biomolecules. Cells and tissues are research platforms for studying transport across the cell membrane, mechanical properties of cellular systems, transport and connectivity in cell signaling pathways, and consequences of oxidative damage to cell membranes. The lab uses molecular self-assembly, microfluidics, and optical microscopy to fabricate and analyze our biomimetic systems.

ACCESS 4Teachers-RET Project #5:
Oxidative damage is related to a variety of diseases, including age-related neurodegenerative disorders and arteriosclerosis. It leads to radical alterations in mechanics, morphology, and permeability. Teachers will analyze data from membrane oxidation. The teachers will:

• learn how to interpret and analyze image data, converting into quantitative measures of membrane properties,
• use computational models connecting membrane chemical reactions to observed property changes,
• learn about synthetic biology and how engineering tools can be used to build biomimetic systems.

To learn more about his research, click here.