Ruby is a biophysical chemist whose research focuses on bacteria–surface and nanomaterial–bio interactions, with applications in antimicrobial materials, biofilm control, and plant–microbe systems. She earned her BSc in Chemistry from the University of the Philippines and her PhD in Chemistry from the University of Toronto, working in Gilbert Walker’s Biointerfaces group. Before joining UTSC, Ruby trained at the National Research Council Canada with Shan Zou, JILA/CU-Boulder with Tom Perkins, UCL Belgium with Yves Dufrêne as a Marcel De Merre Fellow, and the Max Planck Institute in Germany with Kerstin Blank as an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow. Across these roles, she studied model membranes, DNA, proteins, and bacterial adhesion using force-based approaches.

Ruby was named a Cottrell Scholar in 2021. Outside research and teaching, she enjoys Toronto’s multicultural and vibrant community.

Nesha did her PhD at Cornell University, working on single-molecule biophysics and single nanoparticle catalysis. She then moved to Harvard Medical School to study in vitro reconstitutions of clathrin-coated vesicles. Prior to joining the Nano(materials)-Bio Interactions lab, she worked with BioMedX and Roche Diagnostics in Heidelberg, Germany, where she was part of the Nanomaterial-based Biosensor group, developing electronic sensors for Point-of-Care applications. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, cycling, as well as playing the guitar and banduria. She also enjoys exploring the different cuisines in Toronto neighbourhoods.

Anna is a PhD Chemistry student. For her undergraduate honors thesis, she studied the interfacial and nanoscale properties of polymer films and nanoparticles. Her current project is exploring the antimicrobial ability of polydopamine systems and how it affects bacteria. Aside from research, she enjoys the outdoors and reading.

Xiao is a Master’s student in Chemistry and a recipient of the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS). His research focuses on developing and applying microfluidic platforms for the real-time monitoring of plant root–bacteria interactions, with the goal of uncovering the physicochemical and hydrodynamic factors that shape microbial colonization in the rhizosphere. Outside of the lab, Xiao enjoys listening to R&B music and staying active through badminton.

Franklin completed a Master of Environmental Science at UTSC. Currently, he is looking into the ability of antimicrobial nanospheres to disrupt E. coli biofilms. Franklin is interested in understanding the nanoscale properties, of both bacteria and the surface, in relation to plastic-associated biofilms. Aside from research, Franklin enjoys volunteering, physical activity, art, GSAS and watching good movies.

Yilei completed her Master of Chemistry at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology with Professor Nagl. She worked on analyzing the antibacterial property of films on a digital microfluidic device coupled with an oxygen sensor layer. Currently, she is working on studying the interaction between biofilms and materials engaged in microbial fuel cell projects. In her spare time, she enjoys petting cats and watching movies.

Poh Ying (Shirley) completed her Master of Chemistry at Concordia University with Professor Louis Cuccia. She investigated the coordination polymerization of homochiral and racemic copper aspartate, as well as the spatiotemporal resolution of racemic copper aspartate using tailor-made additives in a reaction–diffusion framework. Currently, she is working on bacterial rigidity sensing, focusing on how key adhesion mechanisms shape bacterial attachment on soft and stiff substrates. In parallel, she studies true-to-life nanoplastic–bacteria interactions, with the goal of understanding how rhizobacteria regulate nanoplastic immobilization and organization at their surfaces. In her spare time, she enjoys listening to music and gardening.

Ben is a Master's student in chemistry, co-supervised with the Zhang Lab. He completed his BSc in chemistry at Dalhousie University, where his honours research focused on tuning the gelation kinetics of hydrogels. He is currently developing boronic acid-substituted porphyrins as multimodule imaging probes for targeting bacterial biofilms. Outside of the lab, he enjoys running, swimming, and watching movies.

Rachel is a fourth-year student pursuing a double major in biochemistry and molecular biology. She joined the team through a PSCB90 project in Winter 2024, where she investigated nanoparticle disassembly using amino acids. She is now exploring the use of nanoparticles for agricultural applications through CHMD90. Outside of the lab, Rachel enjoys listening to music, thrifting, and having KBBQ with friends.

Kendrick is a fourth-year student specializing in Chemistry. He joined the group through a CHMD90 project in Winter 2026, where she he is currently investigating interactions between nanoplastics and soil microbes. In his free time, he enjoys solving sudoku puzzles, catching up on movies, and watching sitcoms.

Afrah is a fourth-year student majoring in Chemistry with minors in Environmental Science and Applied Climatology. She joined the team through a PSCB90 project in Fall 2025, where she investigated the metal adsorption of polydopamine nanoparticles quantified by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy. She is currently continuing this research through CHMD90, examining the metal loading capacity of ultra-small polydopamine nanoparticles for agricultural applications. Her work focuses on fortifying plant growth by loading micronutrients onto nanoparticles and enabling their controlled release to support plant development. Outside of research, she enjoys reading, good food and spending time with friends and family.

Amanda is a fourth-year undergraduate student double majoring in Chemistry and English. She joined the research team in Winter 2026 to investigate the viability and coating of Pseudomonas defensor using ultrasmall polydopamine nanoparticles. Currently, her work focuses on the high-resolution characterization of polydopamine coatings applied to plant growth-promoting bacteria. Outside of her research, Amanda enjoys exploring the city, bingeing her favourite movies, and spending time with family and friends.

Christopher is a fourth-year student majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology. He joined the team through a PSCB90 project in Fall 2025, where he investigated 4-methylluferone release from polydopamine-metal nanoparticles. He is currently continuing this research through CHMD90, examining the antibiofilm applications of a polydopamine-copper 4-methylluferone on Streptococcus epidermidis. Outside of research, he enjoys reading, running, gardening and spending time with his grandmother.

Leonie is a fourth-year student in the medicinal and biological chemistry specialist program. Her project investigates the use of titanium dioxide nanoparticles as a photocatalyst in microfluidic reactors for dye degradation. In her spare time, she is a digital artist and enjoys playing video games with her friends.