Physics of Biological Systems

The Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering rationalizes the underlying physics and mechanics in complex biological systems, spanning many scales. We primarily focus on 1) microorganism and cellular systems; 2) food as deformable porous media; and 3) macroorganisms including plants and animals.

We use an integrated approach, including state-of-the-art experimental tools (e.g., high-speed photography, microfluidics, particle image velocimetry) and computational/mathematical models (e.g., stability analysis, fluid mechanics, diffusion-reaction, and data-driven).

Our research efforts lead to bio-inspired engineering devices and model-informed design to benefit humans, animals, food manufacturing, and the environment, by learning nature’s form and function and by optimizing industrial processes for quality and safety.