Research Summary: We focus on studying physical and biophysical phenomena on surfaces with nano-topography. Unlike “flat” or microstructural surfaces, surface topography on the scale of macromolecular clusters, bacteria, or focal adhesions of cells have interesting effects on the physical or biophysical behavior of the species that adhere to the surface. Currently we are studying the effect of nanotopography on adhesion of mammalian cells and transformations of phenotypes of macrophages, and bactericidal properties of nanopillars.  We are also studying approaches to controlling adhesion between materials in a biomedical environment. Our research is both basic and has applications in biomedical devices such as ocular lenses.

Pre 2012 group web site:

http://afyg.eng.uci.edu/index.html