Seminars

Abstract: Droplet microfluidics is a powerful technology for cell analysis. Nanoliter to picoliter sized droplets enable encapsulation of single cells and fluids in confined boundaries. The method has found use in gene expression analysis with RT-PCR protein & antibody secretion response to drugs bio-molecular analysis rare cell search etc. Several groups have designed microfluidics to immobilize droplets in arrays for monitoring various cellular and biochemical phenomena. Although these devices effectively arrest droplets in traps individual droplet retrieval remains a challenge.

Abstract: Extraction of metal ions from spent nuclear fuel or other industrial waste streams is usually done by trialkyl phosphates alkylated phosphoric acid or phosphine oxides under varying conditions of pH and concentration. Molecular dynamics provides a tool to understand the extraction process better at molecular level and can also help in design of a specific extractant for a given species.

Abstract: Of the many building blocks of nanotechnology nanoparticles are the oldest and the most versatile. Thousands of types of nanoparticles have been synthesized using a vast collection of recipes based on green benign and not-so-benign chemicals and then characterized for their attributes. The effort made to understand these recipes even the ones in widespread use is miniscule.

Abstract: Online implementation of various tasks such as model based optimal control state estimation etc. involves repeated solving of optimization problems with same structure but with different parameter values. In recent literature multiparametric programming has emerged as a popular option for facilitating online optimization of such tasks for fast dynamical systems. Multiparametric programming divides the parameter space into the so-called critical regions and pre-computes optimal solutions offline as a function of the parameters for these critical regions.

Abstract: The conflict between environmental sustainability and human safety versus industrial development is an elemental one for an emergent economy like India. Several national codes and regulations exist presently for controlling spatial separation between hazardous industrial facilities and neighboring developments.

Abstract: Many instances involving fluid flow around arbitrary shaped particles with small surface features at finite Reynolds number can be found in both nature and technological applications. In this talk an efficient hybrid approach combining Finite-Difference (FD) method and Boundary Integral (BI) method is presented. The 2D unsteady Stokes equation is solved on a Cartesian grid using a second order FD method while the 2D steady Stokes equation is being solved near the particle using BI method.

Abstract: With more than 82% of our energy resources recovered from the subsurface environments and more than 50 billion cubic feet of fresh water resources used in this process there is an urgent societal need to develop sustainable pathways for energy recovery and production to meet the growing global demand for energy resources. Further fossil fuel consumption contributes to about 79% of global CO2 emissions.

Abstract: Neurological disorders are a group of incurable chronic disorders of central nervous (CNS) and peripheral nervous systems. Several extensive studies reported that an atypical protein kinase C PKMzeta plays a crucial role in neurodegenerative disorder such as Alzheimer’s maintenance of long term potentiation cognition neuropathic pain and cancer. Drug discovery efforts have been hindered due to the non-availability of the protein structure.

Abstract: Every tissue and organ in our body has specific and defined physico-chemical micro-environment. While the importance of bio-chemical signals is known and under investigation for long only in last decade we have started to appreciate the roles of physical/mechanical signals in determining cells' function and fate. Mechanical signals such as substrate modulus substrate topology shear stress stretching vibration etc have been shown to influence cell survival cell spreading cell division migration and differentiation.

Abstract: Unmixed Combustion (UMC) a novel variant of combustion occurs when air and fuel alternately pass over an Oxygen Storage and Release Material (OSRM) mainly metal/metal oxides which undergo oxidation and reduction reactions. In this study the potential of UMC is demonstrated for heat transfer applications. A purpose-built test rig based on a dynamically operated Packed Bed Reactor (PBR) concept was designed fabricated and commissioned. Experiments were conducted using a representative Cu based OSRM along with methane (CH4) and zero air (21 mol% O2) as reactive gases.