Maria Santore

Research Interests

• Discovering mechanisms for adhesion, lubrication, assembly, response, and reconfiguration in soft material systems, focusing on the dynamic interactions of polymers, biomolecules, nanoparticles, colloids, and cells
• Coupling material interactions with flow and deformation to control structures and dynamics  
• Translating new interfacial mechanisms to the application-specific design of responsive / active interfacial materials

Application Areas: 

Biomaterials:  biomembrane mimics, targeted delivery packages, mammalian cell sorting and harvesting, functional particles, polymer hydrogel and nanoparticulate coatings, protein and mucosa interactions, bacteriocidal and antimicrobial surfaces, nonfouling surfaces, biofilm formation, microfluidic and diagnostic surfaces

Energy:  sensors, reconfigurable membrane materials for energy harvesting and storage.

Traditional: inks, paints, coatings, separations media, adhesive formulations, colloidal stabilization, nanoparticlate purification, food colloids especially milk