Mechanical Principles of Biofilm Formation

Research Interests: The overarching goal of my future research is to understand how bacteria, once thought to be solitary and asocial, cooperate in space and time to behave like multicellular organisms. By combining genetic tools, single-cell resolution live imaging, and in situ measurements of mechanical properties, I aim to connect the genetic and biochemical programs underlying the construction of the biofilm architecture to its mechanical properties. This multidisciplinary approach will provide a comprehensive understanding of how bacteria build multicellular communities cell by cell, what unique materials they use to do so, and what mechanical features emerge at the level of the collective. With this understanding, I will discover engineering principles to promote or discourage bacterial community formation in relevant medical and industrial settings.

Teaching Interests: Biomaterials, Soft Matter Physics, Polymer Chemistry and Physics, Rheology, Microbiology.