Peter Beltramo

Beltramo Research Group

Twitter: @SoftMatEng

Google Scholar Profile

Research in our group focuses on applying fundamental engineering principles and novel techniques to understand and engineer interfacial processes.  Interfaces are everywhere, so our research has applications ranging from creating biomimetic materials for drug delivery to stabilizing emulsions in the food and petroleum industry.  We use well-defined model experiments to duplicate the essential physics of these intricate problems, building in complexity through a bottom-up approach as we go along.  In the realm of biophysics, we’re interested in how information passes through the cell membrane and how particle/membrane interactions and material properties can be measured, controlled and exploited.  In colloid science, we’re imagining how particle size, shape and surface chemistry can be manipulated to create super-stable emulsions and develop novel photonic materials. Our research is interdisciplinary, possessing strong intellectual overlap between chemical engineering, physics, biology, and materials science.