Mechanical engineers and biologists in BSSE are working together in collaborative research and in training students to become adept in both areas. The current research themes in these efforts in BSSE are better characterized as biomechanics (application of mechanics to understand living systems) rather than mechano-biology (studies to understand the effects of mechanical stimuli applied on the living entities). The difference is subtle and debatable. Current projects include biomechanics of breast cancer cells and liver cells, and mechanics of motor learning.

Prof. Ashitava Ghosal and Prof. Aditya Murthy are investigating what role redundancy in human arm influences motor learning. It is a combination of kinematics and motor-learning experiments whose results are interpreted from the neurological perspectives. Prof. G. K. Ananthasuresh and Prof. Saumitra Das have an ongoing project in which the mechanical response of hypatocytes is changed presumably because of the action of viral proteins. Prof. Namrata Gundiah and Prof. P. Kondaiah are looking into the interplay between mechanics and biological response of cancer cells.

Mechanical engineers working on cells, tissues, and general biomechanics problems with biology researchers are also developing the required tools themselves rather than limiting themselves to what is available commercially and used extensively in biology laboratories. Examples include a miniature biorector, a viscometer, and a setup for conducting neuroengineering experiments.

BSSE offers a course on Mechanics of Biomaterials to familiarize students with basics in biomechanics.

• G. K. Ananthasuresh
• Ashitava Ghosal
• Namrata Gundiah

Advancement in the field of healthcare requires a collaborative effort of engineers and biologists to develop new tools for therapeutic or diagnostic applications. The Biomaterials group i.e. materials engineers and biologists at BSSE are working together to develop new materials and devices for different biomedical applications. The research in the field of biomaterials is very diverse; at BSSE several groups are working on various materials for multitude of biomedical applications. Bikramjit Basu and V Kumaran are working towards development of PMMA micro-fluidics devices to study the effect of shear forces on cells. Suryasarathi Bose and Giridhar Madras are developing membranes for purification of water using PVDF based antibacterial membranes. Kaushik Chatterjee and Annapoorni Rangarajan are studying cancer cells in 3D tissue scaffolds towards engineering tumor tissues in vitro to facilitate study of cell biology and drug screening in tissue-like environments. Shilpee Jain is developing multifunctional micro devices for various biomedical applications with external electric and magnetic field stimulations. Ashok M. Raichur and Dipshikha Chakravortty are studying the efficacy of drug loaded polyelectrolyte capsules designed for encapsulation of active molecules with various bacterial and animal cell lines. Chandan Srivastava and Hanudatta S. Atreya are actively engaged in synthesizing ferrite nanoparticle-graphene oxide composites for application as contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging.

Although the research in the Biomaterials group at BSSE is focused on developing new materials and testing their property, however, it is not limited in its scope: we have developed a water purification system based on antibacterial membranes.

BSSE offers a course on Fundamental of Biomaterials and Living Systems to familiarize the students with basic concepts in Biomaterials.

• Bikramjit Basu
• Suryasarathi Bose
• Kaushik Chatterjee
• Shilpee Jain
• Giridhar Madras
• Ashok M. Raichur
• Chandan Srivastava