Nanotechnology is the rapidly advancing study of manipulating and utilizing matter at molecular scales of 1-100 nanometers and has applications in nearly every career sector, including biomedical, energy, environmental, communications, and industrial. It is innately multidisciplinary, requiring experts in mathematics, physics, chemistry, life sciences, medicine, and engineering. This multidisciplinary nature allows RETAIN to impact teachers across STEM disciplines. In turn, available faculty mentors reside in different departments throughout campus, and while research topics vary, they share the common goal of advancing nanomaterials research.
- Research Area and Interests: The aim of Dr. Mangilal Agarwal’s group is to develop integrated nanosystems for energy, biomedical, and other applications. Nanosystems harness the new functionalities and properties of materials and devices at dimensions in the nanometer scale length (1-100 nm). For example, Diabetes is a global and national epidemic and 1 in 10 healthcare dollars in the U.S. is spent on costs directly attributable to diabetes [1]. Persons with type 1 diabetes, especially children and the elderly, can experience sudden drops in blood sugar , that is, they can become hypoglycemic. This can be very dangerous if it remains unrecognized. The metabolic processes that lead to hypoglycemia cause the production of specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in human breath. This fact is not currently used to monitor diabetes or track the onset of hypoglycemia. However, trained diabetes alert dogs are able to identify these compounds and recognize the onset of hypoglycemia. Therefore, this project works towards developing a smart device able to detect the volatile organic compound profile in human breath that correlates to hypoglycemia. This is being accomplished by identifying the hypoglycemic signature breath profile, developing a nanosensor array capable of detecting the identified compounds, and incorporating the nanosensor array into a portable smart device.
- Research Area and Interests: Dr. Sarath Chandra Janga research integrates computational and experimental multi-omic approaches to study complex and heterogeneous data sources in biomedical sciences, with the goal of understanding how the regulation, structure and dynamics of biological systems shape the phenotypic landscape of an organism and its relevance to disease conditions. His interdisciplinary research team in collaboration with clinical and translational scientists, examines these questions using cutting edge next generation sequencing technologies and data science frameworks to develop novel bioinformatics algorithms to understand how RNA interactions, structures and their cross talk with various cellular entities in cell lines and animal models can be employed for dissecting complex phenotypes in liver, brain, kidney and immune diseases.
- Applying network-based approaches in understanding disease biology and in drug discovery settings.
- Exploiting genomic data for gene function prediction
- Mining genomes for novel antibiotics
- Integrating data sets stemming from post-genomic technologies
- Research Area and Interests: Dr. Frédérique Deiss core research is to develop electroanalytical platforms for preventative care and forensics using paper, microfluidics, and spectroscopy. For example, the group works on a voltammetric ion sensing for the detection of micronutrients (such as potassium or magnesium ions). Ion sensing is also at the center of our paper-based assay for the quantification of chlorate used to detect inorganic explosives (NIJ funded). Besides nutrition, another main target of preventive care is done via the detection of bacteria. We are focusing on two different ways to detect bacteria in food or water: (i) one at the point-of-care with portable paper-based detection and (ii) a rapid highly sensitive detection of bacteria by electrochemiluminescence.
Building on previous experience with paper-based devices and diagnostics, some projects focus on developing the assays onto a paper substrate.
- Research Area and Interests: Dr. Ruihua Cheng research is mainly to study the phenomena of nanomagnetism through the fabrication and characterization of magnetic nanostructure materials with the goal of understanding the new materials phenomena and exploring and potential technological applications in spintronic devices and sensors.
Nanomagnetism refers to reducing magnetic systems down to the nanometer. It has been shown that the finite-size effects can be harnessed and utilized in a wide range of new technology applications.
The fundamental magnetic properties such as spontaneous magnetization, magnetic anisotropy, the magnitude of spin and orbital moments and magnetic interactions are strongly dependent on the geometry confinement of a given system. Magnetic nanodots and nanowires can be fabricated by molecular beam epitaxial growth. The magnetic and electronic properties of these nanostructures can be characterized in situ .
Spin-dependent transport in hybrid structures involves a combination of ferromagnetic (F) and semiconductor or normal metals.
The interplay between the different types of interactions and correlations present in each can produce a host of interesting spin-dependent effects. We study t he spin-dependent transport in confined geometries including quantum dots, quantum wires, magnetic single-electron transistors, hybrid multilayers, and thin ferromagnetic films. Many of which have direct potential for applications.
- Research Area and Interests:Dr. Yogesh Joglekar’s research has three broad focus areas that include: (i) graphene, where interested concentrated on electrical transport and light-emission signatures of excitonic condensation in uniform and crystalline states in graphene, and other two-dimensional materials; (ii) systems with balanced sources and sinks, described by so-called PT-symmetric Hamiltonians, of particular interest are PT-symmetric lattice models and tunable optical waveguides, and the implications of PT-symmetry breaking; and (iii) memristrive systems. While theoretical physics is often viewed as a topic beyond the scope and capabilities of high school students, new computing software help put these topics into an accessible level and Dr. Joglekar’s group routinely consists of high school students.
- Research Area and Interests: The main objective of Dr. Christoph Naumann’s research is the design and characterization of biomembrane-mimicking supramolecular architectures and their utilization in selected research projects of biophysical and biomedical significance. Around this central theme, Dr. Naumann’s has developed three complementary research directions: (i) Structure, dynamics, and mechanical properties of polymer-tethered lipid membranes; (ii) Biophysical mechanisms of protein sequestration in well-defined lipid heterogeneities; and (iii) Design of biomimetic cell substrates. Dr. Naumann’s research is highly interdisciplinary and encompasses the design of complex assemblies of biologically important molecules and the application of single molecule-sensitive imaging methods, such as wide-field single molecule fluorescence microscopy, confocal fluorescence intensity analysis, and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy.
- Research Area and Interests:Dr. Horia Petrache’s research is focused on measurements of molecular structures and forces by physical methods including X-ray and light scattering, NMR and UV spectroscopy, and biological ion channel measurements. Key research interests include: (i) ionic interactions in solution, forces between membranes: hydration, van der Waals, electrostatics; (ii) polyunsaturated (dietary) lipids; (iii) membrane structure from X-ray scattering (SAXS), NMR, and MD; and (iv) membrane elasticity (spontaneous curvature and bending fluctuations).
- Research Area and Interests:Dr. Rajesh Sardar’s group is principally focused on analytical chemistry and materials science of metallic and semiconductor nanoparticles. Due to the continuous growth in energy storage demands for both consumer products as well as global infrastructure, their goal is to develop materials for efficient energy conversion, charge storage devices, and fabrication of advanced nanosensor substrates. In all applications, understanding the fundamental physics and chemistry of the material is essential to properly tailor material properties for eventual device design. A broad range of techniques is utilized for particle development including analytical chemistry and nanoscale materials science. Of particular interest is the development of semiconductor nanoparticles, commonly known as quantum dots (QDs). Here we are principally focused on controlling particle composition thru novel synthetic techniques and verification with a variety of analytical methods.
- Research Area and Interests:Dr. Mithun Sinha’s laboratory at the Center for Surgical Sciences (CSS) focuses on implant-associated immunological complications and wound healing. His research focuses on implant-associated complications due to biofilms and impairment of wound healing outcomes due to bacterial biofilm. His laboratory studies dental implant associated peri-implantitis, breast implant associated systemic immunological manifestations and orthopedic implant associated osteomalacia. His team focuses on Breast implant-associated complications like breast implant illness (BII) or Systemic symptoms associated with breast implants (SSBI). The current line of study aims to decipher lymphocyte activation via lipid mediators formed by implant-associated bacterial biofilm. Wound healing and skin repair studies are focused on the bioengineering aspect of healing. He conducts wound healing studies exploring host-biofilm interaction-mediated metabolites. In addition, his laboratory explores the development of implant-based biomaterials for their anti-biofilm properties. Over the past decade, he has actively collaborated with clinicians (surgeons, podiatrists, orthodontists, physical therapists), chemical and material science engineers. Seven of his publications have been cited 100+ times. His study on breast implant associated immunological complications published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation (PMID: 38032740) has received editorial type commentary from the peer community (PMID: 38299590).
- Research Area and Interests:Dr. Nathan J. Alves is the Director of Translational Research and an Associate Professor at the Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) in the Department of Emergency Medicine with a joint appointment at Purdue University in Biomedical Engineering. The research he conducts, while spanning many disciplines, is centered on the development of translational technologies, treatments, and techniques that can be utilized to have a positive impact on people’s lives. He has extensive experience in: nanoparticle drug delivery, packaging of pharmaceutical agents/enzymes to treat various diseases, studying the effect that microplastic exposure has on coagulation and fibrinolysis, site-specific antibody modification, oriented antibody immobilization for advanced diagnostics, and extracellular vesicles (EV). His multidisciplinary background affords him a unique perspective to tackle complex therapeutic and medical device development problems.
- Research Area and Interests:Dr. Jian Xie’s group is working on meeting the energy needs and solving environmental issues. Energy is critical to our society and we are facing the challenge of running out the fossil fuel. Moreover, the use of fossil fuel results in serious environmental issues. In order to meeting growing energy needs, Dr. Xie’s research focuses on the technology of clean energy, such as fuel cells, advanced batteries, and super capacitors. Dr. Xie takes a bottom up approach to this work by: clearly defining the need for clean energy from materials perspectives, designing nano-structural materials, developing the designed materials, characterizing the developed materials, and using these materials in energy conversion devices (i.e. fuel cells, batteries, super-capacitors, etc.).
- Research Area and Interests:Dr. Jing Zhang’s research focuses on structure-property correlations of ceramic, high-temperature alloy, and microelectronic materials, and modeling and simulations of multi-scale and mulch-physics coupled phenomena. These activities guide the development on new nanomaterials for applications that span renewable energy to biomedicine. Key research interests include: (i) renewable energy (hydrogen transport membrane, solid oxide fuel cell, electric vehicle conversion); (ii) multi-scale modeling (finite element method, discrete element method, atomistic simulation); (iii) coupled phenomena (thermal and electrical properties, mass transport), and their applications to processing (powder metallurgy, compaction and sintering, metal forming); and (iv) ceramic materials for biomedical and power generation applications.
- Research Area and Interests: The research in Dr. Likun Zhu’s group spans a range of microscale and nanoscale technologies including modeling and characterization of lithium ion batteries based on micro and nano computed tomography technologies, new fabrication technologies for hierarchical micro/nano structures, self-pumping and self-regulating microfluidic gas generation systems, and microfluidic devices for circulating tumor cell isolation. Dr. Zhu’s research group seeks to address fundamental scientific questions and strive to develop new technologies for problems important to modern societal needs, including: (i) renewable energy; (ii) advanced battery and fuel cells; and (iii) micro and nanofluidic systems.