(3ge) Transport and Motility Behavior of Soft Colloids

In this poster, I present an overview of my research on building active colloids and colloidal systems, and manipulating their transport behavior through external (imposed gradient/ microenvironment) and intrinsic (materials/ size) means. As an aspiring postdoc and future faculty candidate, I envision working at the interface of chemical engineering, biochemistry and material science to tackle challenges in the fields of colloids and interfaces, formulations and functional biomaterials. By applying my colloid and surface science expertise, I aim to understand the physico-chemical properties and design multi-functional, stimuli-responsive and motility-controlled systems and devices. A few capabilities that I am interested to develop include (but not limited to):

• Building biomimetic model membranes to study and understand their biophysical properties and motile behavior
• Developing membrane-based sensing and testing devices by utilizing their motile and reconfigurable behavior
• Optimizing functional and personalized foods with active and adaptive control of flavor and nutrient release

Research Experience:

My research experience of 7 years encompasses areas of active colloids, emulsions and microfluidics. Prior to my PhD work at Penn State Chemical Engineering, I worked as a research engineer at the National University of Singapore for two years, where I also received my undergraduate degree. Below is a brief description of my research as (1) a PhD student and (2) a research engineer/ undergraduate student.

1. Colloids and active matter

During my time at Penn State, I have studied the motility and diffusive behavior of soft colloids, such as enzymes, proteins, coacervates and vesicles. A major part of my research comprises of characterizing motility and determining the underlying mechanisms. Through this experience I have developed expertise in the areas of colloidal synthesis and characterization, colloidal and interfacial science, and fluid dynamics.

2. Microfluidic emulsion-based processing of colloids

During my time at the National University of Singapore, I used microfluidic emulsion generators to synthesize micro/ nanoparticles for a variety of applications. The research I did during my undergraduate thesis project and as a research engineer culminated in a spin off start-up company from our lab. Through this experience I developed expertise in the areas of microfluidic emulsion generators, cargo encapsulation, and materials formulation.

Teaching interests:

I am interested in teaching a variety of chemical engineering courses such as transport phenomena, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics and reaction engineering. I will also explore the possibility of teaching and developing courses on colloidal systems or colloidal and interfacial phenomena.