Energy Systems

Biological organisms have enormous impact on global energy systems. Biological organisms store solar energy, generate and convert fuels, and are a huge input into global carbon cycles that must be understood if climate change models are to be used with any success. Microfluidic devices are often the appropriate tools to use to study these systems, as they provide rapid, inexpensive, or sophisticated analysis. Our interests include dielectric characterization of algae biodiesel feedstocks, enzymatic conversion of biofuels, rapid microfluidic analysis of cellular processes in species with significant impact on the global carbon cycle, and biohydrogen generation.

Micro/nanofluidic and interfacial transport also impacts many processes that drive energy systems, including subterranean oil extraction processes.