Soft Matter & Interface Science
Research in the group focuses on interfacial soft matter, where we apply fundamental principles to understand and engineer interfacial processes central to biology and colloid science. We employ a suite of experimental techniques such as fluorescence microscopy, interferometry, microfluidics, high-speed imaging and electrophysiology based approaches combined with fundamental insights from thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and transport phenomena to interpret results. Our research has been funded by the NSF, ACS Petroleum Research Fund, Army Research Lab (National Center for Manufacturing Sciences), American Lightweight Materials Manufacturing Innovation Institute (ALMMII-LIFT), and the UMass ADVANCE program.
Interfacial Assembly
Spherical colloidal particles pinned to fluid interfaces can be manipulated into two-dimensional microstructures with novel photonic and plasmonic properties. However, isotropic particles limit the structures that can be formed and the resultant function. In this arena, we aim to fabricate advanced functional materials by manipulating the interactions between anisotropic particles at liquid interfaces. Specific projects are focused on 1) synthesizing polymer ellipsoids with controlled surface roughness in order to understand how surface topography impacts the interaction energy and ultimate interfacial assembly of anisotropic colloids and 2) synthesizing hybrid field-responsive colloids in order to dynamically create reconfigurable interfacial assemblies via external fields. This work has been funded by ACS-PRF and is currently funded by NSF Grant #2232579 (Data and links to associated papers from this grant can be found here and in the publications list).
Emulsion and Foam Stability
Particles trapped at fluid interfaces stablize spherical droplets of immiscible fluids, like air/water foams or oil/water emulsions. We aim to apply our understanding of interfacial particle interactions to engineer emulsions relevant for the personal care, food, petroleum, and environmental remediation industries. In particular, we are investigating how particle surface roughness and external fields dictate the interfacial mechanics of spherical and ellipsoidal polymer microparticles. We ultimately seek to engineer stimuli responsive emulsions that will be able to adsorb and mitigate environmental pollutants. This work is currently funded by NSF Grant #2424554 (Data and links to associated papers from this grant will be found here as we publish in the future).
Membrane Dynamics and Organization
The cell membrane is a complex two-dimensional fluid that organizes spatially and temporally to orchestrate processes such as cell division and protein signaling. Our goal is to develop model systems that are faithful to their in vivo counterparts in order to understand the interplay between the lipid microenvironment and function. Specific projects are focused on 1) understanding the impact of asymmetry in either aqueous solution conditions or phospholipid composition on membrane physicochemical properties and 2) examining the dynamics of “crowded” membranes which possess controlled quantities of model inclusions. This work is currently funded by NSF Grant #1942581(Data and links to associated papers from this grant can be found here and in the publications list).
Biomimetic Materials
We aim to understand how information is transported across biological interfaces, whether by membrane fusion or particle translocation. This will not only provide fundamental insight into complex biological processes, but will also enable the reverse-engineering and manipulation of these processes in drug delivery applications. Specific projects highlight the 1) electrostatic interactions between phospholipid headgroups as they come into contact and 2) the impact of membrane properties on calcium triggered membrane fusion. This work is currently funded by NSF Grant #1942581(Data and links to associated papers from this grant can be found here and in the publications list).