Track 1: Chemo-Mechano-Bio

Faculty Champions

Bahareh Behkam (ME) and Sanket Deshmukh (CHE)

Team

Jie Chen, Erin Gloag, Sohan Kale, John Matson, Amrinder Nain, Elizabeth Nowak, Valerie Welborn

Project Goal

Healthcare-associated infections are largely driven by microbial biofilms on medical devices. Conventional antimicrobial coatings often fail in vivo due to biological passivation and rising antimicrobial resistance. This effort seeds a convergent program in chemo-mechano-biological control of microbe–material interfaces, shifting from antimicrobial “kill” strategies toward predictive regulation of microbial phenotypes through coordinated control of surface chemistry, nanoscale organization, and mechanically mediated interfacial cues. We will integrate materials discovery, microbial mechanobiology, and AI-enabled, manufacturing-aware design informed by clinical constraints. Targeted pilot studies will identify dominant design drivers and mechanistic couplings, enable multi-PI proposal submissions and an ERC/MRSEC-style center concept, and expand clinical and industry partnerships