Seminars

Abstract: Human error plays a predominant role in accidents. Various studies claim that 80% to 85% of all accidents across domains ranging from aviation medicine road transportation nuclear power plants to chemical process plants originate from human error. The systematic study of human failures started in the 1970s post the Three Mile Island nuclear plant accident but has predominantly been restricted to a risk assessment viewpoint i.e. developing estimates of human error rates and incorporating human factors based interventions in the design stage.

The design of a potent vaccine for HIV has been challenging because of the massive genomic diversity of the virus in infected individuals. Some rare individuals naturally elicit antibodies that can neutralize this diverse collection of viruses. These antibodies are called broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs). The individuals however elicit them late 2 or more years into the infection and in quantities that are too low to cure the infection. Enormous efforts are underway to expedite the production of bNAbs and to enhance their levels in the blood in all infected individuals.

Abstract: Shaping the nucleus represents a particular challenge for the migrating cell because of its large size and resistance to deformation. We designed experiments in which cells migrate from 1-D fibronectin lines to 2-D fibronectin patterns to examine how nuclear shape evolves with changes in cell morphology during cell migration. We observed that nuclear shape only changes when there are dynamic changes in cell shape.

Abstract: Water & energy encompass all aspects of life and influence wellbeing of every one every day. In these challenging (& interesting) times there are incessant & increasing demands on water & energy resources on one hand and demands & restrictions imposed by global warming & other environmental factors on the other hand. It is therefore essential to develop sustainable solutions for water & energy sectors which balance economic ecological & societal needs. Insights innovations and intensification are essential for achieving this.

Abstract: Ceramic nanofibers provide advantageous chemical and physical properties beneficial for many applications including heterogeneous catalysis. Electrospinning is a simple and effective technique to produce ceramic and composite fibers with controlled diameters and morphologies. We recently obtained ceramic nanofibers with unique elongated lamellar-like porous structure using a single nozzle electrospinning process followed by controlled thermal treatment.

Abstract: Biological cells have a bilayer membrane that protects the enclosed material and acts as a medium of communication between the intra- and extra-cellular environments. Variation in the composition of the membrane have shown to impact fundamental cellular processes such as signal transduction membrane tracking and membrane sorting. The inhomogeneous membranes of living cells have a complex and a dynamic structure and thus the simplified membrane model system of lipid vesicles is significant.

Abstract: (Abstract with images is attached as a pdf file) As articular cartilage is avascular with limited ability for self-repair and as a result osteoarthritis and other cartilage injuries are biomedical burdens. Ultrasound has become an indispensable tool in diagnostic imaging is an FDA approved noninvasive therapy mechanism and is used as an operative tool. While high intensity US (1-3 W/cm2) finds utility in ablative applications there is a paucity of published work that investigates the ability of pulsed low intensity US (pLIUS 1-50 mW/cm2) to improve cartilage repair outcomes.

Abstract: ‘Chemical Processes’ have been the traditional forte and focus of a Chemical Engineer’s activities and responsibilities in Industry. However the Chemical Process Industry itself has undergone radical transformation into sectors such as specialty chemicals personal care health care food paint semiconductor energy etc. over a period of time.

Abstract: Unlike liquids for crystalline solids the surface tension is known to be different from the surface energy. However the same can’t be said conclusively for amorphous materials like soft crosslinked elastomers. In order to resolve this issue we have developed a direct method for measuring solid-liquid interfacial tension by using curved surface of a solid. In essence we have used the inner surface of tiny cylindrical channels embedded inside a soft elastomeric film for sensing the effect of the interfacial tension.

We will describe experiments on two-dimensional bidisperse and polydisperse foams sheared in a Couette device. The bubbles tend to segregate according to their size with larger ones in the middle of the gap and smaller ones closer to the walls. To explain this behavior we first study the migration of a single large bubble in a sea of small monodisperse bubbles.