Dr. Ace Santiago

Nano(materials)-Bio Interactions

Research in our group combines smart nanomaterial design with quantitative characterization of nanomaterial-biosytem interactions. We focus on developing multifunctional nanomaterial-based antimicrobials, with a strong emphasis on innovating antimicrobial platforms and understanding the complex dynamics between nanomaterials and bacteria. Simultaneously, we are also developing nanoscale analytical tools to unravel the complexities of bacterial biofilms under physiological conditions. Moreover, we utilize nano-analytical approaches to study the impact of nanomaterials in environmental niches, such as interactions between nanoplastics and soil bacteria, thus expanding the relevance of our work to the field of environmental nanotechnology.

Below are key research themes that we are actively working on:

  • Bioinspired nanotherapeutic platform development

  • Quantitative imaging of bacterial biofilms

  • Nanoplastic-bacteria interaction

  • Bacteria-root interaction

  • Bacterial rigidity sensing

  • Nano(material)-biosystem interactions―at the single-cell (left) and single-molecule (right) levels

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The lab is grateful for these funding...