Research Projects

Biological Applications

A very different application of aerosol science has been my collaborative research effort with Prof. Pamela Weathers of the Biology and Biotechnology Department to develop bioreactors that use a media mist to feed plant tissue cultures. To grow these cultures effectively requires specially designed bioreactors. Our efforts have focused on the nutrient mist reactor - a gas phase reactor that relies on the micron size droplets to penetrate the root bed and deliver fresh nutrients to the growing plant tissues. The papers that have come out of this research are listed in the publications section.  I am no longer accepting students in this area, but I do still interact with the Interdisciplinary Plant Research Group, and am available for advice on aerosol related problems.

Over the past three years I have been developing a new collaboration with Dr. Larry Bonassar Cornell University on the use of aerosol based technologies in Biomedical Engineering. The topics to date include developing aerosol methods to deliver tracheal cells in a polymer spray and free-form machining of 3-dimensional tissue structures.

   

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