Nano(materials)-Bio Interactions
Our research integrates smart nanomaterial design with the quantitative study of nanomaterial–biological interactions. We develop multifunctional nanomaterial-based antimicrobial platforms while investigating how their properties influence interactions with bacteria. In parallel, we create and apply nanoscale analytical tools to probe bacterial adhesion, biofilm formation, and biofilm mechanics under physiologically relevant conditions. We also extend these approaches to environmental systems, examining how emerging contaminants such as nanoplastics interact with soil bacteria and affect beneficial plant–microbe relationships. Together, our work bridges nanomaterials engineering, microbial biophysics, and environmental nanotechnology.
Image by Dr. Ace Santiago
Below are key research themes that we are actively working on:
Bioinspired nanotherapeutic platform development
Quantitative imaging of bacterial biofilms
Nanoplastic-bacteria interaction
Bacteria-root interaction
Bacterial rigidity sensing
Nano(material)-biosystem interactions―at the single-cell (left) and single-molecule (right) levels
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