Department Bionanoscience
Principal investigator Marie-Eve Aubin-Tam
E-mail address m.e.aubin-tam@tudelft.nl
Website https://aubintamlab.tudelft.nl
Bioprinting microalgea-based living material to be used as a carbon-capturing living textile
Suitable as a BEP? No
Suitable as a MEP? Yes
Suitable as an Academic Research Project? No
Techniques:
- 3D printing
- Cell biology
- Microscopy
- Materials characterization
In this project, the master student will print an hydrogel containing microalgae. The growth of the microalgae will be studied as a function of the hydrogel used and the substrate unto which the bioprint is grown. Microscopy and biochemical techniques will be used to monitor cell growth.
Different strains of microalgae will be tested.
The carbon capturing capability will be assessed with CO2 sensors in custom-made chambers.
There is a possibility to collaborate with artists or designers in this project.
Further reading (click to link to article)
https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adfm.202011162
Using bacterial spores to create responsive living materials
Suitable as a BEP? Yes
Suitable as a MEP? Yes
Suitable as an Academic Research Project? Yes
Techniques:
- Cloning
- Microscopy
- Material characterization
Bacterial spores are ideal components to create responsive living materials that can be activated on demand, for example to achieve for self-healing properties. This project will study and engineer physical properties of bacterial spores, such that those can be leveraged to create responsive materials.
Further reading (click to link to article)
https://www.science.org/doi/epdf/10.1126/sciadv.adw8278
Investigating THz-Wave Induced Changes in Phospholipid Bilayer Hydration Using Fluorescence Microscopy
Suitable as a BEP? Yes
Suitable as a MEP? Yes
Suitable as an Academic Research Project? Yes
Techniques:
- Microfluidics
- Microscopy
- Biochemistry
In this project, we will explore how electromagnetic radiation influences water molecule organization at phospholipid bilayer interfaces. We will prepare free-standing phospholipid bilayers in a microfluidic device and probe their hydration level using polarity-sensitive fluorescent probes. The bilayers will be exposed to electromagnetic waves in the frequency range of 0.04 – 2.7 THz, where excitations of water-phospholipid hydrogen bonds and collective motion of (charged) phospholipids occur. By systematically varying the irradiation frequency and experimental conditions, we will map the resulting changes in water organization at the membrane interface using fluorescence microscopy. The findings will advance our understanding of how electromagnetic waves in the THz frequency range modulate membrane organization and function under electromagnetic stress.
Further reading (click to link to article)
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2025/LC/D4LC00930D
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-99475-x