Calendar of MRSEC Events

Presenters: Mauro Colagreco (@maurocolagreco), chef-owner of Mirazur in Menton, France—ranked one of the best restaurants in the world—explores the next frontier of fermentation and flavor. His work with non-alcoholic and low-alcoholic drinks reflects his ongoing drive to push the boundaries of culinary creativity.

Presenters: Martin Breslin (@HUDSinfo), Director of Culinary Operations for Harvard University Dining Services, oversees culinary standards and operations for five million meals annually, award-winning chef, awardee of multiple American Culinary Federation medals, founding member of Healthy Menus Collaborative.

Smitha Haneef (@HUDSinfo), Managing Director for Harvard University Dining Services, brings global culinary leadership and innovation in sustainable dining practices.

Presenters: Bryan Furman (@bs_pitmaster), pitmaster and founder of Bryan Furman BBQ, has achieved national recognition for his smoking expertise and use of Heritage hogs, earning accolades such as Food & Wine Magazine’s 2019 Best New Chef and a James Beard Foundation semi finalist nomination, while continuing to expand his culinary empire with restaurants and pop-ups across the U.S. and Europe.

Presenters: Claire Saffitz (@csaffitz), pastry chef, YouTube host, and author of Dessert Person and What's for Dessert, is known for bringing pastry science to a wide audience. She received the IACP Julia Child Award in 2020 and was nominated for a James Beard Award in 2022.

Abstract: Cortical excitability, a phenomenon in which the cell cortex is dynamically patterned with waves of F-actin assembly, has been described in a variety of animal model systems, including embryos of mammals, flies, frogs and echinoderms, as well as a variety of cultured cells. While the cortical F-actin network is closely linked with the plasma membrane, it is not known if membrane composition or fluidity regulates dynamic cytokinetic patterning. Phospholipids partition within the plasma membrane during cytokinesis, and phosphoinositides play a key regulatory role in other excitable systems, suggesting a role for membrane-dependent regulation of cytokinetic patterning. Here we use an artificial reconstituted cell cortex comprised of Xenopus egg extract and supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) to show that membrane composition regulates self-organized cortical patterning. We find that manipulating levels of candidate lipids, including phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate, phosphatidylethanolamine, sphingomyelin and cholesterol, results in both quantitative and qualitative changes in the dynamics of traveling waves and standing oscillatory patterns of active Rho and F-actin, as well as the kinetics of Rho activation and F-actin assembly on supported lipid bilayers. Our findings demonstrate that membrane composition directly regulates the assembly of cortical F-actin, as well as emergent active Rho and F-actin patterning.

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Abstract: Recent breakthroughs in experimental neuroscience and machine learning have opened new frontiers in understanding the computational principles governing neural circuits and artificial neural networks (ANNs). Both biological and artificial systems exhibit an astonishing degree of orchestrated information processing capabilities across multiple scales - from the microscopic responses of individual neurons to the emergent macroscopic phenomena of cognition and task functions. At the mesoscopic scale, the structures of neuron population activities manifest themselves as neural representations. Neural computation can be viewed as a series of transformations of these representations through various processing stages of the brain. The primary focus of my lab's research is to develop theories of neural representations that describe the principles of neural coding and, importantly, capture the complex structure of real data from both biological and artificial systems.

In this talk, I will present three related approaches that leverage techniques from statistical physics, machine learning, and geometry to study the multi-scale nature of neural computation. First, I will introduce new statistical mechanical theories that connect geometric structures that arise from neural responses (i.e., neural manifolds) to the efficiency of neural representations in implementing a task. Second, I will employ these theories to analyze how these representations evolve across scales, shaped by the properties of single neurons and the transformations across distinct brain regions. Finally, I will demonstrate how insights from the theories of neural representations can elucidate why certain ANN models better predict neural data, facilitating model comparison and selection.

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Presenters: Nok Suntaranon (@kuhnnok / @kalayaphilly), chef-owner of Kalaya in Philadelphia, is the winner of the 2023 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic and a 2020 nominee for Best New Restaurant. Her vibrant Thai cooking has received national acclaim for its bold flavors and artistry.

Abstract: Electronics that can seamlessly integrate with human body could have significant impact in medical diagnostic, therapeutics. However, seamless integration is a grand challenge because of the distinct nature between electronics and human body. Traditional electronics, rigid and planar, face inherent mismatches with the soft, deformable nature of the human body. This presentation will introduce our solution to the challenge. Our approach, termed "rubbery electronics," relies on the use of elastic, rubbery materials for semiconductors, conductors, and dielectrics. These materials exhibit tissue-like softness and mechanical stretchability, enabling seamless integration with soft, deformable tissues and organs. The presentation will highlight the development of rubbery materials, particularly the nanocomposite semiconductors engineered to balance carrier mobility and mechanical stretchability – as the foundation for rubbery electronics. Building on these materials, this presentation will also showcase our advances in electronics, sensors, and functional systems and their applications in healthcare, robotics, and human-machine interfaces. As a platform technology, rubbery electronics not only overcome longstanding challenges in biointegration but also open broad opportunities for innovation, promising significant impact across diverse scientific and technological frontiers.

Biosketch: Dr. Cunjiang Yu is the Founder Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, also holds joint appointments in the Departments of Materials Science and Engineering, of Mechanical Science and Engineering, and of Bioengineering. His research focuses on the fundamentals and applications of soft and bio electronics. Dr. Yu work has been recognized with many honors, including multiple Young Investigator Awards from the ASME, Society of Engineering Science, American Vacuum Society, ONR, as well as the NSF CAREER Award, the NIH Trailblazer Award, and recognition as an MIT Technology Review Innovator under 35.

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Presenters: Lars Williams (@empiricalspirits), co-founder of Empirical Spirits, has been internationally recognized for innovation in flavor and distillation. Empirical Spirits earned Double Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals at the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

About: The STEAM event of the year, a family-friendly science extravaganza with an afternoon of education and entertainment, with over 100 STEAM-themed activities for innovation-enthusiasts of all ages.

Presenters: Joanne Chang '91 (@jbchang), James Beard Award–winning pastry chef and restaurateur, is the co-owner of Flour Bakery + Café and Myers + Chang in Boston. She is also the author of several acclaimed cookbooks, including Flour, Flour Too, Baking with Less Sugar, and Myers + Chang at Home.

Presenters: Dave Arnold (@CookingIssues), founder of Booker and Dax (NYC), author of Liquid Intelligence, host of the podcast Cooking Issues, and founder of the Museum of Food and Drink, is known for his groundbreaking work at the intersection of culinary innovation and science.
Harold McGee (@Harold_McGee), celebrated food science writer and author of On Food and Cooking, Curious Cook, and Nose Dive: A Field Guide to the World's Smells, has shaped the way chefs and home cooks understand the chemistry of food.

Abstract: Dr. Eric Darling is an Associate Professor of Medical Science, Engineering, and Orthopaedics in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Brown University and a core member of its Institute for Biology, Engineering, and Medicine (I-BEAM). His seminar focuses on the development and application of multiple tools for characterizing the mechanical properties of cells and tissues. Specific attention will be given to the development of physiological cell mimics and their use as calibration particles for a novel multimodal mechanophenotyping cytometer. Early results on the functionality of this device for cell measurements will also be presented. In addition to characterizing the mechanical properties of single-cells, the Darling Lab also investigates microenvironmental forces in developing neotissues. This is done using the same calibration particles, although in this implementation, their deformation is visualized and equated to the applied forces from neighboring cells and tissue. Initial work has focused on changes in microenvironmental forces as adipose-derived stem cells self-assemble and compact into spheroids, modelling early stages of the mesenchymal condensation process. More recent findings have scaled up the testing platform to examine the influence of multiple force probe characteristics on mechanical measurements, with recommendations for their application to other experimental systems, and feasibility experiments investigating how these sensors can be used to explore in situ mechanical forces within larger neotissues.

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Abstract: Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. This is due to the rapid growth rates of tumors, their ability to develop resistance to chemotherapy, and the difficulties in transporting therapeutics across vascular barriers and into surrounding tumor tissues. The lack of physiologically relevant in vitro human tumor models and the challenges in translating results from animal experiments to the clinic have greatly hindered progress in improving patient outcomes. To address this critical need, we employ novel design strategies to engineer in vitro microfluidic cancer models and 3D tumor models from patient tissues. These platforms enable us to study tumor development, design new targeted therapies for cancer, and understand the genetic mechanisms of resistance to chemotherapy. Our human-like tissue engineering models provide highly relevant pre-clinical tools that can be used to understand tumor progression and drug delivery, leading to better cancer patient outcomes.

Speaker Bio: Cynthia Hajal joined the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at Northeastern University in August 2023. Her lab focuses on the design of tissue engineered models of tumors to study cancer progression, drug delivery, and treatment resistance. She received a BA in Economics and BS in Mechanical Engineering from Columbia University and her SM and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from MIT. Her doctoral work focused on the design of microfluidic models of the vasculature to investigate cancer metastasis and molecular transport between blood and tissues. Prior to joining Northeastern University, she was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard where she investigated resistance mechanisms to chemotherapies in patient-derived glioma tumor models using functional genomic screens. She was awarded the Lion’s Pride Young Alumni Award by Columbia University (2025) and was selected as a Featured Junior Investigator by the American Association for Cancer Research (2024) and a Rising Star in Mechanical Engineering by MIT (2021).

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Abstract: Surface and interfacial tensions play key roles in governing the mechanics of highly compliant materials, from traditional fluid capillary mechanics to the emerging field of elastocapillary mechanics of very soft solids. Our work studies the role of surface tension in a variety of contexts, from competing with elasticity in establishing adhesive contacts with soft polymer gels to driving surface instabilities and fracture on fluid surfaces to facilitating plant reproduction. In this talk, I will focus on our work investigating a dual role for capillarity—both solid and liquid—in adhesion with soft polymer gels. By varying parameters such as asperity size, adhesion energy, and gel material properties, we gain insight into the fundamental physical processes that dominate soft contact with rough surfaces across length and time scales. Second, I will introduce some of the intriguing fluid surface mechanics that we observe in our lab, from capillary multipole interactions harnessed by Marchantia polymorpha primitive land plants during their asexual reproduction to symmetric starburst fracture on a protein-laden fluid surface. Our experiments combine mechanical manipulation and force measurements with sensitive, high-speed 2D and 3D optical imaging to measure soft interface mechanics in both static and dynamic contexts.

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Abstract: Engineers design structures to predictably resolve forces and moments through a primary load path in which deformations are small and linear. There is an enormous opportunity to design structures that rely on nonlinearities and instabilities to perform advanced functions and propagate forces in nontrivial ways. This talk will demonstrate how the complex mechanics of coupled nonlinear structures can create novel actuators, artificial muscles, soft robotic grippers, and perform rudimentary mechanical computation. I will begin by discussing the nonlinear deformations of beams bending together as they pack and compete for space. Then I will discuss how engineering defects into thin sheets provides a way to control how they deform. Typical defects include folds(origami) and cuts (kirigami), and I will describe how these defects enable the design of functional mechanical metamaterials. Lattice cuts provide a simple way to enhance the stretchability of a thin sheet. We show that certain lattice configurations are more stretchable than others, while certain configurations produce an array of bistable unit cells. The bistability provides a means to tune the stiffness of the structure in situ, while also providing a means for mechanical logic. Lattice cuts on curved sheets, i.e. kirigami shells, enable additional functionality. The natural curvature of the sheet causes the bistable lattices to curve together and close around an object, which enables the kirigami shells to act as soft robotic grippers. We will discuss the optimal kirigami geometry for a robotic gripper, and describe how the structures perform at both grasping and holding irregular objects. Finally, by coupling transmissive, multistable shells we developed universal logic gates, (NAND, NOT, XNOR), and combine them to demonstrate basic mechanical computation: binary addition via a half adder mechanical circuit.

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Abstract: The biomechanical properties of neuronal cells are critical to their development, function, and structural stability. These properties influence cytoskeletal organization, axonal growth, and the formation of functional synapses. While substantial progress has been made in understanding neuronal growth and connectivity, a complete picture of axonal dynamics—incorporating the mechanical interactions between neurons and their environment—is still lacking. In this talk, I will present an integrated experimental platform that combines three high-resolution techniques: atomic force microscopy, fluorescence imaging, and traction force microscopy. Using this experimental setup, we measure the elastic modulus of cortical neurons with high spatial resolution and correlate these measurements with the traction forces generated by axons on their substrate. We also track cytoskeletal components to connect axonal behavior with changes in cytoskeletal dynamics, cellular volume, and cell biomechanical properties. In addition, I will discuss biomechanical measurements performed on human leukemia monocytic (THP-1) cells encapsulated in silk fibroin biomaterials. These results offer valuable insights for designing advanced biomaterial interfaces aimed at enhancing cellular protection and functional integration.

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Abstract: Chemical cues mediate interactions between marine phytoplankton and bacteria, underpinning ecosystem-scale processes including nutrient cycling and carbon fixation. Specifically, viral infection alters phytoplankton metabolism, stimulating the release of chemical cues, but how this process influences ecology and biogeochemistry is poorly understood. Here, we determine the impact of viral infection on dissolved metabolites from marine cyanobacteria and the subsequent chemotactic response of heterotrophic bacteria. We developed a novel microfluidic device for high-throughput bacterial chemotaxis screening, which - together with time-resolved metabolomics - proved essential to disentangle the roles of diverse chemical compounds in this process. Our results show that metabolites released from intact, virus-infected cyanobacteria elicit strong chemoattraction from heterotrophic bacteria, especially during early infection stages prior to lysis. Ultimately, these findings establish a new mechanism for resource transfer that might impact carbon and nutrient fluxes across trophic levels.

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Abstract: Human influenza viruses, as well as SARS-CoV-2, undergo fast evolution driven by immune pressure of their hosts. Viral strains and our immune systems are a tightly coupled, fast-evolving ecosystem. Fitness models have become an important tool to predict these dynamics and to guide the selection of vaccine strains. In this talk, I present the cross-scale concepts of current predictions: changing molecular interactions of viral proteins and human antibodies affect immune protection, generate time-dependent fitness differences between strains, and shape the global evolution of the pathogen. This analysis contains building blocks of a new, computable framework for human adaptive immunity.

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Abstract: Identifying effective immunization schemes against highly mutable pathogens such as HIV and influenza viruses remains a persistent public health challenge. Our work addresses this challenge by analyzing a simplified model of affinity maturation, the Darwinian evolutionary process that B cells undergo during immunization.

In this presentation, I will introduce a minimal framework that identifies optimal selection forces exerted by time-dependent vaccination protocols. This framework aims to maximize the production of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) that can protect against a broad spectrum of pathogen strains. The model utilizes a path integral representation within a mean-field limit to provide guiding principles for optimizing vaccine-induced selection forces. Additionally, I will discuss our ongoing research that extends this theoretical framework to more complex immunological scenarios. This extension employs regression algorithms to derive simplified dynamical equations from time series data generated by agent-based and population simulations. These equations effectively capture the evolution of B cell populations and antibody responses, providing valuable insights into antigen competition and other nonlinear effects that emerge from the complex feedback mechanisms of immunological memory.

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Abstract: Nature has developed diverse adhesion strategies, from mussel-inspired underwater glues to gecko-like dry adhesion. Silk fibroin, with its tunable structure and exceptional mechanical properties, provides a versatile foundation for bioinspired adhesives. This seminar examines key natural adhesion mechanisms and how silk fibroin can be engineered into various material formats to create functional adhesives. By leveraging its unique properties, silk-based adhesives can be tailored for applications ranging from underwater adhesion to biodegradable labeling and even superhero inspired adhesives.

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Abstract: The towering successes of twentieth century theoretical physics were marked by two guiding principles: symmetry and energy functionals (reflecting equilibrium dynamics). Yet how we can exploit these principles to develop a theory of living systems is unclear since the biological world is composed of heterogeneous, interacting components operating out of equilibrium. In this talk, I will argue that one possible strategy for taming biological complexity is to embrace the idea that many biological behaviors we observe are “typical” and can be modeled using random systems that respect biologically-inspired constraints. I will focus on high-dimensional ecology and show how we can use tools from statistical physics (cavity method, DMFT) to understand the emergence of chaos in the ecosystems with non-reciprocal interactions.

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Abstract: In this talk, we study a minimal model of a system with coexisting nematic and polar orientational orders, where one field tends to order and the other prefers isotropy. For strong coupling, the ordered field aligns the isotropic one, locking their orientations. The phase diagram reveals three distinct phases—nematopolar (aligned orders), nematic (independent orders), and isotropic (vanishing orders)—separated by continuous and discontinuous transitions, including a triple and a tricritical point. We find unique critical scaling for the nematopolar-nematic transition, distinct from standard nematic or polar universality classes. Additionally, in the locked nematopolar phase, we show nematic +1/2 topological defect pairs are connected and confined by strings with constant tension. These strings arise from frustration in locking the orientational orders and can be interpreted as elongated cores of +1 polar topological defects. When a sufficiently strong background field couples to the polar order, all topological defects are expelled from the region. Analytical predictions are quantitatively confirmed by numerical simulations. Based on joint work with Amin Doostmohammadi.

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