Let Nature Be Your Guide: Innovation Through Bio-inspired Engineering

Friday, October 28, 2011: 8:30 AM-10:00 AM
Room B3 (San Jose Convention Center)
Chairs:
Elisa Maldonado, PhD, Research Coordinator, Harvard University and Yolanda Vasquez, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University

Description: Nature has evolved strategies to life’s most complex problems. Engineers are taking lessons from nature to develop bio-inspired materials and technologies with applications to industry, medicine, and environmental resources management. In this session, speakers will discuss their innovative research in bio-inspired engineering and mentor students through informal discussion.



8:30 AM
Introductory Remarks
8:35 AM
Stem Cell Polarization and Alignment on Ordered Arrays of High-aspect-ratio and Nanopillars
Yolanda Vasquez, PhD , Postdoctoral Fellow , Harvard University
8:55 AM
Bio-Inspired Nanomaterials: From Biomimetics to Biokleptics
Gabriel Lopez, PhD , Professor , University of New Mexico and Duke University
9:15 AM
Structure and Function Relationships in Sponge Skeletal Systems
James Weaver, PhD , Research Associate , Harvard University
9:35 AM
Using Biomimetics to Understand Larval Settlement and Marine Biofouling
Elisa Maldonado, PhD , Research Coordinator , Harvard University