Project:	Studies of soft and living matter in complex environments
Disciplines:	Multidisciplinary, Biophysics, Fluid dynamics, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Rheology, Mechanical Engineering, Biological Engineering, Soft Matter Physics
Mentor:	Sujit Datta, Professor, (CCE), ssdatta@caltech.edu
Mentor URL:	https://dattalab.princeton.edu/  (opens in new window)
Background:	Soft (“squishy”) and living systems underlie nearly every aspect of our lives: the milk we drink in the morning (a colloidal dispersion), the gel we put into our hair (a polymer mixture), and the plaque that we try to scrub off our teeth (an adhered bacterial community known as a “biofilm”) are all familiar examples. Such systems also hold great promise in helping to solve societal challenges including the need for water security, improved agriculture, and the treatment of disease. Thus, our research focuses on understanding how soft and living systems behave in the complex environments they are typically found or applied in. Examples include soils, sediments, and porous rocks underground, or gels and tissues in our own bodies. We do this by integrating microscopy, microfluidics, materials science, and biophysical characterization. We also complement our experimental work with theoretical and computational modeling, applying ideas from fluid and solid mechanics, colloidal science, polymer physics, statistical mechanics, and network science. Our work focuses on microbial collectives, complex fluids, and porous hydrogels—motivated by challenges in biotechnology, energy, medicine, and sustainability. Our overarching goal is to bridge the gap between idealized lab studies in uniform environments and complex processes in real-world settings.
Description:	SURF projects can be either purely theoretical/computational, purely experimental, or a combination of the two. Some projects include (i) studying viscoelastic flow instabilities in porous media, (ii) studying bacterial growth in complex media, (iii) studying bacterial motility in complex media.
References:	Fluid dynamics: — https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abj2619 — https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2320962121 Bacterial biophysics: — https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-10115-1 – https://dx.doi.org/10.3791/66166 — https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.04.18.590088
Student Requirements:	General proficiency in math/physics/chemistry/biology
Programs:	This AO can be done under the following programs:   Program    Available To        SURF    Caltech students only  Click on a program name for program info and application requirements.