Ruby Sullan

Research in our group lies at the interface of mechano-microbiology and materialsbiosystems interactions. We use a multifaceted and integrative approach to quantify, and elucidate the molecular mechanism behind the mechanical forces that stabilize the initial stages of bacterial biofilm formation on different materials. As initial attachment is the crucial pre-requisite for a mature biofilm, initial efforts in the Mechano-microbiology Lab will focus primarily on the early stages of biofilm development - that is initial adhesion and microcolony formation. Below are the key research themes that we are working on:

• Molecular forces in Bacterial Biofilms - at the single-molecule and single-cell levels
• Bacterial Rigidity Sensing
• Structure and Nanomechanics of Bacterial Biofilms
• Targeted Delivery of Anti-biofilm Agents