Building Interfaces from the Synthetic to the Organic: Cyborg Beetles, Antibody Zippers and Other Things

Michel M. Maharbiz
UC Berkeley

Monday, May 24, 2010 at 1:00PM
54-134 Engineering IV Building
Refreshments Served

Abstract:The ongoing miniaturization of computation, sensing and communication coupled with advances in the understanding of biological process will fuel a push to engineer systems at the interface of the organic and the solid-state. In this talk, I'll give a brief overview of efforts in my group in these directions, with an intent to delve deeply into two topics: so-called 'cyborg insects' (or the remote radio control of insect flight) and antibody zippers, a nanochemomechanical device recently developed in my group.

Biography:Michel M. Maharbiz is an Associate Professor with the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley for his work on microbioreactor systems under Professor Roger T. Howe (EECS) and Professor Jay D. Keasling (ChemE). His work let to the foundation of Microreactor Technologies, Inc. which was recently acquired by Pall Corporation. Dr. Maharbiz has been a GE Scholar and an Intel IMAP Fellow. Professor Maharbiz's current research interests include building micro/nano interfaces to cells and organisms and exploring bio-derived fabrication methods. His group is also known for developing the world's first remotely radio-controlled cyborg beetles; this was named one of the top ten emerging technologies of 2009 by MIT's Technology Review (TR10). Michel's long term goal is understanding developmental mechanisms as a way to engineer and fabricate machines.

Video: http://www.eeweb.ee.ucla.edu/videos/EE297_Unspecified_2010-05-24_01-05-AM.htm