Biotechnology and Human Health
Our faculty apply chemical engineering principles to biological problems in human health, energy, environment, agriculture and food processing. We aim to understand the fundamentals of how biological and biomimetic systems function and create tools, methods and processes that provide new functionality or scale. Recent research efforts by our faculty include synthetic biology and bioprocess design of plant-based biopharmaceuticals, energy and materials (Jeoh, McDonald, Nandi, Sun); formation, mechanics, adsorption and rheology of biological membranes and cells (Heinrich, Kuhl, Longo, Parikh), transport related to viruses, blood cells, the brain and food surfactants (Dungan, Ristenpart, Wan); development of systems that enable measurement and control of proteins, membranes, cells, tissues, organs and plants (Block, George, Kuhl, Longo, Marcu, McDonald, Nandi, Seker, Shah, Silva, Tan, Wan); large-scale and high-throughput characterization of host-pathogen interactions (Shah); modeling of biological and biomimetic systems on the molecular and larger scales (Block, Boulton, Faller, Ristenpart, Tan); optimization of cultured meat processing (Block, McDonald); and coffee and wine process modeling, optimization and sustainability (Block, Boulton, Ristenpart, Runnebaum).
