Microfluidics technology has been seen to have great potential in lab-on-a-chip applications including chemical analysis and diagnostics. However, flow control in these networks requires either a pneumatic or fluidic control layer over the microfluidic layer. Recent studies have shown that integrated flow control may be achieved by introducing capacitive elements or obstacles in the flow path so that system response becomes non-linear as required for flow switching.

This project will investigate the effects conformation dependent drag (CDD) of polymers on the properties of elastic turbulence in dilute polymer solutions. CDD arises from hydrodynamic interactions between segments of the polymer and can be modelled, in a coarse-grained manner, by making the relaxation time of an elastic dumbbell dependent on the dumbbell's extension. The effects of CDD in viscometric flows have been well-studied, e.g. the coil-stretch hysteresis in extensional flow.

The project involves simulation to determine the properties of a viscoelastic liquid from the film thickness coating a substrate when a drop of liquid is smeared onto the substrate. The film thickness is set by a combination of surface tension, elastic forces and viscous forces. The problem has application in devices used to measurement of viscoelastic properties from a drop of liquid

A coulter counter is a device that measures changes in impedance when a particle passes through an orifice placed between two electrodes. The impedance change is proportional to particle volume. The particle size can also be measured via light scattering. Here, the intensity of scatter from a particle is proportional to the square of its size. The goal of this project is to build an integrated flow cell that can integrate both these measurements. The project would involve both simulations and experiments. 

A coulter counter is a device that measures changes in impedance when a particle passes through an orifice placed between two electrodes. The impedance change is proportional to particle volume. The particle size can also be measured via light scattering. Here, the intensity of scatter from a particle is proportional to the square of its size. The goal of this project is to build an integrated flow cell that can integrate both these measurements. The project would involve both simulations and experiments. 

Antibiotic resistance often arises not from single mutations, but from specific combinations of mutations that together change how proteins and genes function. This project will study how such mutation combinations shape the evolution of essential bacterial proteins and gene regulatory DNA. Using existing experimental data and new analyses, the student will examine how mutations interact to enable or block resistance, focusing on enzymes involved in drug response and bacterial promoter regions that control gene expression.

Circular economy promotes strategies such as reduce, reuse, and recycling are being proposed to address the unsustainable use of material resources. These practices are expected to reduce the requirement of virgin resources and also reduce the generation of waste. The circular economy adoption strategy needs to be designed for specific products and sectors. This work will perform a fundamental analysis of the adoption of the circular economy and its implications on overall sustainability. System dynamics will be used as a tool for this purpose.

Biomass is being explored in India as a sustainable alternative for the production of energy and chemicals. The fuel demands are being met through sugar, grains, and agricultural residue, while power and chemicals demands are expected to be met by agricultural residue. The sustainability of biomass as a resource, however, needs to be ascertained.

In order to achieve the net-zero target by 2070, India needs to aggressively plan the reduction of CO2 emissions from sectors such as power, refining, steel, and cement. Transition planning for reducing carbon emissions is required. This project will focus on developing an optimization-based strategy for planning this reduction over the next 2-3 decades. The work will involve developing an optimization model for carbon capture, transport, storage, and utilization options. The cost and emission-related details related to these activities will be considered.

Antibiotic resistance often arises not from single mutations, but from specific combinations of mutations that together change how proteins and genes function. This project will study how such mutation combinations shape the evolution of essential bacterial proteins and gene regulatory DNA. Using existing experimental data and new analyses, the student will examine how mutations interact to enable or block resistance, focusing on enzymes involved in drug response and bacterial promoter regions that control gene expression.