Seminars

Abstract: Heat pipes are critical components in cooling of systems present in space. The Constrained Vapor Bubble (CVB) is a transparent wickless heat pipe system tested on the International Space Station (ISS) where the Bond number (ratio of gravitational force to surface force) is small maximizing the effects of capillarity. The CVB is made up of square fused silica spectrophotometer cuvette which is then partially filled with pentane or a mixture of pentane and isohexane (94% pentane 6% isohexane) as the working fluid.

Abstract: This research seminar highlights the research experience of the author while pursuing graduate studies and largely covers the author’s PhD research on Joule heating effects in insulator-based dielectrophoresis microdevices. The seminar will also include a very brief overview of a few studies on electrokinetic instability and magnetophoretic effects in microfluidic devices which are co-advised by the author during PhD studies. The presentation will be concluded by the proposed post-doctoral work at IIT Bombay. An introduction to the PhD research is provided below.

Abstract: Our mission is to address grand challenges in particle science and technology. These are related to the formation processing and application of particulate systems along the five dimensions of size shape surface structure and composition. Today unit operations and product design are the two most important pillars of chemical engineering.

Abstract: The discovery and design of catalysts necessitate an understanding of reaction chemistry at the molecular level. In recent years in silico chemistry has made significant strides in the large-scale screening of catalyst materials. In particular density functional theory (DFT) owing to its simplicity and low cost has been instrumental in making quantum chemistry a viable field of study. The development of DFT involves approximations to the exchange-correlation (XC) potential between interacting electrons.

Abstract: Principal Components Analysis (PCA) is a multivariate data analysis technique which was first introduced by Pearson in 1901 although the nomenclature was provided by Hotelling in 1933. This technique has gained significant popularity in recent years due to the tremendous explosion in the volume of data that is being generated. It is mainly used as a data compression technique which can aid in better visualization and help reduce storage.

Abstract: Crystal Nucleation is the primary mechanism for phase transformation from fluid to solid phases. Despite its widespread occurrence our understanding of the mechanisms of nucleation is far from complete. In this talk I will be discussing methods to study crystal nucleation using molecular simulations and the application of these techniques to system of binary hard spheres.

Mr.  K.Ravindranath  is  the  Senior  Vice  President  and  Whole‐Time  Director  of  L&T  Hydrocarbon Engineering  Ltd   a  wholly‐owned  subsidiary  of  Larsen  &  Toubro  Ltd  (L&T)   India’s  largest Engineering  and  Construction  Company.  He  currently  heads  Onshore  and  Offshore  Business Verticals of Hydrocarbon projects portfolio of L&T.

Abstract: CO2 is a greenhouse gas that is partly responsible for global warming. Therefore it is desirable to seek ways to capture and convert CO2 into fuels that can be used to meet energy needs. Reduction of CO2 using solar energy via the photocatalytic process is an area that is attracting a lot of attention by researchers. TiO2 has been found to be photo active for CO2 reduction. However the yields are low and due to its high bandgap only the UV portion of the solar spectrum is utilized in the conversion process.

Dynamics in Human Breast Cells Protein kinase C (PKC) engenders motility through phosphorylation of alpha-tubulin at Ser-165 in non-transformed MCF-10A cells. This talk will report on the use of live-cell imaging to explore the impact of PKC-mediated phosphorylation on microtubule (MT) dynamics.

Abstract: There is a strong need for affordable and accurate disease detection in developing countries in order to provide good quality healthcare to the population. Microfluidics can help in miniaturizing diagnostic platforms so that these can be transported directly to the patient’s bedside (i.e. at the point-of-care) from clinical laboratories. In this talk I will speak about a mobile phone microscope and a microfluidic platform developed by us to detect sickle cell disease an inherited disorder affecting the hemoglobin in red blood cells. Bio: Debjani Paul obtained a Ph.D.