Research /chbe/ en Fast but error-prone: AI assists in solving a decades-old fluid mechanics problem in weeks /chbe/fast-error-prone-ai-solves-decades-long-fluid-mechanics-problem-weeks <span>Fast but error-prone: AI assists in solving a decades-old fluid mechanics problem in weeks</span> <span><span>Susan Glairon</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-08-05T08:59:57-06:00" title="Wednesday, August 5, 2026 - 08:59">Wed, 08/05/2026 - 08:59</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/chbe/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2026-08/_hero_crisp.png?h=e238cdb9&amp;itok=xD0Wl3ZO" width="1200" height="800" alt="Scientific visualization showing fluid flow around an irregularly shaped particle. Curved streamlines bend around the particle, while color gradients from purple to bright orange highlight variations in the surrounding electric field or flow intensity. The image illustrates how a particle's shape influences the flow patterns around it."> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p>The image illustrates how a particle's shape influences the flow patterns around it.</p> </span> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/78"> News </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/331" hreflang="en">Gupta</a> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/4" hreflang="en">News</a> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/229" hreflang="en">Research</a> </div> <a href="/chbe/susan-glairon">Susan Glairon</a> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p dir="ltr"><span class="small-text">Image caption: Illustration of how a particle's shape influences the flow patterns around it.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><em><span>For seven years,&nbsp;</span></em><a href="/chbe/ankur-gupta" rel="nofollow"><em><span>Ankur Gupta,</span></em></a><em><span> assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering at CU 麻豆影院, </span>had been pursuing a theory about how small particles move when driven by electric fields<span>. Century-old research suggests that particle size and shape do not change their speed, but Gupta wanted to go deeper. He sought to understand how size and shape affect the motion of smaller particles when driven by electric fields, and with the help of Claude, an AI assistant, and his team鈥檚 rigorous verification, the researchers solved the problem in just five weeks.</span></em><br><br><em><span>In the following Q&amp;A, Gupta discusses the research, how AI contributed to the discovery and the importance of human oversight.</span></em></p><h2><span>Claude helped you solve a problem in five weeks that had remained unsolved for decades. What problem were you trying to solve?</span></h2><p dir="ltr"><span>There鈥檚 an intense interest in fabricating micron- and submicron-sized particles with a wide range of shapes. These tiny engineered particles are increasingly used in medical diagnostics, targeted drug delivery and tiny self-propelled devices, where precise control of their movement is essential.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>I was trying to develop a theory that predicts </span>how these small particles move when subjected to an electric field and how their size and shape affect their motion.</p><h2><span>What was still unknown about how small particles move?</span></h2> <div class="align-right image_style-default"> <div class="field_media_oembed_video"><iframe src="/chbe/media/oembed?url=https%3A//youtube.com/shorts/1DqLHTJUq2Y%3Ffeature%3Dshare&amp;max_width=516&amp;max_height=350&amp;hash=fspZHPbMlH73lUwV7JThEoKtTBaK-XZMuPDrbCxUfPg" width="197" height="350" class="media-oembed-content" loading="eager" title="Particles Race"></iframe> </div> </div> <p dir="ltr"><span>Imagine kicking a ball. How fast it travels depends on how hard you kick it, as well as the ball鈥檚 size and shape. Something similar happens at the microscopic scale in a process called electrophoresis, where tiny charged particles move through an electrolyte solution when an electric field is applied. The electric field acts like the kick: the stronger the electric field, the faster the particle moves.&nbsp;</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>One might expect that, like a ball, larger or differently shaped particles would move at different speeds during electrophoresis. The Polish physicist Marian Smoluchowski showed more than a century ago that the speed of particles larger than a few micrometers is independent of size and shape. The remaining challenge was to understand what happens when particles become small enough for their size and shape to affect how they move.</span></p><h2><span>What did you discover about how particle shape affects motion?</span></h2><p dir="ltr"><span>We found that the most important aspect of a particle鈥檚 shape is the stretch or compression, the change from a perfect sphere into a slightly elongated or flattened shape. Other deformations, such as waviness, have little effect on how the particle moves. Being able to predict how shape controls this motion is important because engineered micro- and nanoparticles are increasingly used in medical diagnostics, targeted drug delivery and self-propelled "micro/nano swimmers," where controlling their movement is essential.</span></p><h2><span>What potential impact could your findings have&nbsp; on applications such as medical diagnostics and targeted drug delivery</span></h2><p dir="ltr"><span>Our findings show that a nanoparticle's shape affects how it moves in an electric field. This insight could help researchers design nanoparticles that travel at the right speed for applications like medical diagnostics and targeted drug delivery.</span></p><h2><span>Why did you bring AI into the project?</span></h2> <div class="align-right image_style-medium_750px_50_display_size_"> <div class="imageMediaStyle medium_750px_50_display_size_"> <img loading="lazy" src="/chbe/sites/default/files/styles/medium_750px_50_display_size_/public/2026-08/explainer_bars.png?itok=J2nyF9Z9" width="750" height="450" alt="Diagram showing how particle shape affects speed in an electric field. Stretched particles move faster than spherical particles, while flattened particles move slower. Adding bumps or dents to either stretched or flattened particles does not change their speed, indicating that overall shape鈥攏ot surface texture鈥攄etermines how fast the particles travel."> </div> </div> <p dir="ltr"><span>For more than seven years, I had been pursuing a theory beyond the Smoluchowski result. My research group had explored several different approaches to the problem over a period of a year and a half, but we couldn鈥檛 find a solution.&nbsp;</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>There鈥檚 been a lot of buzz around AI, so we decided to give it a shot. We set up the problem, but we were curious whether AI could handle the long, detail-intensive algebra required to solve it.</span></p><h2><span>What kinds of tasks was Claude especially good at?</span></h2><p dir="ltr"><span>It was especially good at handling repetitive, time-consuming tasks, such as carrying out lengthy calculations, writing computer code and creating publication-quality figures. Even then, we had to carefully review its work to make sure everything was accurate.</span></p><h2><span>What were the dangers of bringing AI into research?</span></h2><p dir="ltr"><span>AI can make mistakes, and relying on it too much can spread those mistakes throughout a project. For example, AI may confidently execute a well-documented procedure in the wrong situation and provide explanations that justify an incorrect answer. Researchers need to be skeptical of anything AI does and verify AI-generated results independently.</span></p><h2><span>What surprised you most about the mistakes Claude made? Were they difficult to spot?</span></h2><p dir="ltr"><span>AI made the kinds of mistakes we expected, such as misinterpreting research papers or relying on unrealistic assumptions. As the work became more refined, the mistakes became much harder to detect. Claude sometimes made subtle mathematical errors that appeared correct, or adjusted its reasoning to match expected results, creating answers that looked self-consistent but were wrong. In some cases, the results, including graphs, appeared valid until we carefully checked every step.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Also, when preparing the manuscript and an accompanying blog, we asked Claude to help draft the "mistakes" section of our blog post, and it fabricated three plausible-sounding errors that never occurred.&nbsp;</span></p><h2><span>What does a scientist need to do to ensure AI-generated results are reliable?</span></h2><p dir="ltr"><span>Scientists need to be deeply involved in the process. They must carefully check AI-generated work against primary sources, their own calculations and their understanding of how the science should behave. No single check was enough in our case. Rather than replacing the scientist, AI changes the role: researchers can use it to help build solutions to more ambitious problems, but they must apply their expertise to verify, refine and correct the results.</span></p><h2><span>Though you used AI, how much of your work still depended on your own expertise?</span></h2> <div class="align-right image_style-small_500px_25_display_size_"> <div class="imageMediaStyle small_500px_25_display_size_"> <img loading="lazy" src="/chbe/sites/default/files/styles/small_500px_25_display_size_/public/ankur_gupta.png?itok=NSZohfLx" width="375" height="422" alt="Ankur Gupta portrait"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Assistant Professor Ankur Gupta</p> </span> </div> <p dir="ltr"><span>Expertise becomes even more valuable when using AI. While some tasks can be automated, other steps such as posing the problem correctly, choosing the right geometry and mathematical approach and interpreting what the results meant required our input. Claude's role was to accelerate the more time-consuming parts of the process, including calculations, coding and creating figures, but the scientific direction and decision-making remained ours.</span></p><h2><span>Has this experience changed how you approach research?</span></h2><p dir="ltr"><span>It's made us much more deliberate about how we verify information. We now treat every AI-generated result the way we'd treat a result from a source we don't yet fully trust. It鈥檚 not something we can rely on until it has been checked against trusted sources or independent calculations.</span></p><h2><span>What advice would you give graduate students about using AI responsibly?</span></h2><p dir="ltr"><span>Use AI to learn new techniques, but don't let it replace your own thinking. AI is excellent at combining existing methods, but much less capable of understanding a problem from a physical standpoint. That understanding must come from you, otherwise you will eventually lose the ability to evaluate AI's work. Think of it like learning chess. A player does not become a strong player by relying on a computer program that analyzes chess positions and suggests the best moves; you have to play thousands of games to develop the intuition needed to make decisions. Otherwise, you are not playing chess; you are simply following a computer's output.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>Research led by Assistant Professor Ankur Gupta used AI to solve a decades-old fluid mechanics problem in weeks, revealing that a nanoparticle's overall shape, not its surface texture, determines how it moves in an electric field. The finding could help scientists design nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery and medical diagnostics.</div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/chbe/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2026-08/_hero_crisp.png?itok=X-GHgcnd" width="1500" height="750" alt="Scientific visualization showing fluid flow around an irregularly shaped particle. Curved streamlines bend around the particle, while color gradients from purple to bright orange highlight variations in the surrounding electric field or flow intensity. The image illustrates how a particle's shape influences the flow patterns around it."> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p>The image illustrates how a particle's shape influences the flow patterns around it.</p> </span> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Wed, 05 Aug 2026 14:59:57 +0000 Susan Glairon 3959 at /chbe Wyatt Shields receives Army Young Investigator award /chbe/2026/07/24/wyatt-shields-receives-army-young-investigator-award <span>Wyatt Shields receives Army Young Investigator award</span> <span><span>Susan Glairon</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-07-24T16:01:02-06:00" title="Friday, July 24, 2026 - 16:01">Fri, 07/24/2026 - 16:01</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/chbe/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2026-07/9-7-Packard-Meeting-1271.JPG?h=891c64ef&amp;itok=WRbLvWNG" width="1200" height="800" alt="Associate Professor Wyatt Shields speaks at a podium during a conference presentation, gesturing with one hand while holding a presentation remote."> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/78"> News </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/4" hreflang="en">News</a> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/229" hreflang="en">Research</a> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/395" hreflang="en">Shields</a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div> <div class="align-right image_style-small_500px_25_display_size_"> <div class="imageMediaStyle small_500px_25_display_size_"> <img loading="lazy" src="/chbe/sites/default/files/styles/small_500px_25_display_size_/public/2026-07/Figure%2010_Sequence%20Programming.jpg?itok=e8lRmZxJ" width="375" height="293" alt="Diagram comparing protein folding with the design of programmable microrobots, showing how sequences of microscopic building blocks self-assemble into specific shapes inspired by biological proteins."> </div> </div> <p><span>Associate Professor </span><a href="/chbe/c-wyatt-shields-iv" rel="nofollow"><span>Wyatt Shields</span></a><span> received the Army Research Office's Young Investigator award for research that could advance the next generation of programmable microscopic robots.</span><br><br><span>Shields' team is developing tiny magnetic building blocks that can self-assemble into microrobots with programmed movements. By changing the sequence of these microscopic particles, researchers can control how the robots function鈥攐pening the door to new approaches for smart materials, sensors and other responsive technologies.</span><br><br><span>The project combines chemical engineering, materials science and computational modeling to create microscale robotic systems that can be manufactured at scale for a wide range of future applications.</span></p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>Associate Professor Wyatt Shields received an Army Research Office Young Investigator award to develop programmable microscopic robots inspired by protein folding.</div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/chbe/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2026-07/9-7-Packard-Meeting-1271.JPG?itok=7_pxsWo0" width="1500" height="1000" alt="Associate Professor Wyatt Shields speaks at a podium during a conference presentation, gesturing with one hand while holding a presentation remote."> </div> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Fri, 24 Jul 2026 22:01:02 +0000 Susan Glairon 3956 at /chbe Kate Seymour /chbe/2026/04/10/kate-seymour <span>Kate Seymour</span> <span><span>Susan Glairon</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-04-10T09:23:36-06:00" title="Friday, April 10, 2026 - 09:23">Fri, 04/10/2026 - 09:23</time> </span> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/229" hreflang="en">Research</a> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/26" hreflang="en">Student Awards</a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div> <div class="align-right image_style-small_500px_25_display_size_"> <div class="imageMediaStyle small_500px_25_display_size_"> <img loading="lazy" src="/chbe/sites/default/files/styles/small_500px_25_display_size_/public/2026-04/Kate%20Seymour.jpeg?itok=pyBSGZWK" width="375" height="375" alt="Kate Seymour in a casual sweater with the Flatirons in the background."> </div> </div> <h2>Double Major</h2><p>Chemical Engineering (BS) and Chemistry (BA)</p><h2>CEAS Award</h2><p><span>Research Award</span></p><h2>Future Plans</h2><p><span>Pursuing a Materials Science and Engineering PhD at the 麻豆影院</span></p><h2><span>Why were you were selected for this award?</span></h2><p>In the <a href="/lab/bowmangroup/" rel="nofollow">Bowman Research Group</a>, I develop computer models that predict how light-activated plastics, called photopolymers, form and harden during manufacturing. My work addresses a critical gap in existing models, a chemical reaction unique to a major class of these materials, that has long forced researchers to rely on costly trial and error. By filling this gap, my models will enable scientists to design better photopolymers from the outset, rather than relying on guesswork.</p><p>Photopolymers are widely used in everyday applications from dental fillings and crowns, to 3D-printed medical devices, contact lenses and protective coatings. Improving predictive modeling can lead to more durable dental restorations (reducing repeat procedures, especially valuable for communities with limited access to dental care), while accelerating the development of customized medical implants and reducing material waste in manufacturing. Ultimately, my work helps researchers and engineers design these essential materials more efficiently, lowering costs and bringing new healthcare technologies to patients sooner.</p><h2>What accomplishment are you most proud of?</h2><p>Finishing a dual degree in chemical engineering and chemistry while staying genuinely connected to the people around me. The GPA matters to me, but what I am most proud of is that I did not disappear into the work. I stayed present with my classmates. I kept showing up for the people in my life. I found my faith. I tried to honor the professors and coworkers who invested in me through my hard work and commitment. I stayed curious about things beyond my engineering and chemistry coursework.</p><p>At times, it would have been easier to avoid the harder, messier parts of being a person: relationships, faith, vulnerability, and showing up for others when it was inconvenient. I did not always get it right, but I learned more from trying to hold both things together than I ever could have from the coursework alone. Looking back, I did not have to sacrifice the things that made me feel human to succeed academically, and that is what I am most proud of.</p><h2>What is your favorite CU 麻豆影院 memory?</h2><p>Growing up, Saturday mornings meant watching College GameDay with my parents and cheering for our respective programs. So getting swept up in that experience at my own alma mater during Coach Prime's first season was pure joy. I traveled to Fort Worth for the opener and waved a giant CU flag on Big Noon Kickoff as Colorado shocked Texas Christian University. The following week, I was back at Folsom Field for the Nebraska game, where I won best sign on Big Noon. Then came the Rocky Mountain Showdown, and College GameDay's first visit to 麻豆影院 since 1996, where I got a photo with Desmond Howard, a former professional football player and current sports analyst. It's a fall I'll never forget.</p><h2>What is your best piece of advice for other students?</h2><p>Say "yes" to the opportunity you feel underqualified for. Email the professor whose research sounds intimidating. Apply for the internship you assume you won't get. Volunteer for the project that pushes you outside your comfort zone. Most of the meaningful opportunities I've had at CU started with me deciding to try. The worst thing that happens is someone says "no," which is exactly where you started. The people who seem to have it all figured out aren't more qualified than you; they just took the first step and asked.</p><p class="text-align-center"><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-gold ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="/chbe/honoring-our-2026-college-undergraduate-awardees" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Meet more of our awardees</span></a></p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:23:36 +0000 Susan Glairon 3897 at /chbe Jessica Connell /chbe/2026/04/08/jessica-connell <span>Jessica Connell</span> <span><span>Susan Glairon</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-04-08T14:32:18-06:00" title="Wednesday, April 8, 2026 - 14:32">Wed, 04/08/2026 - 14:32</time> </span> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/229" hreflang="en">Research</a> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/26" hreflang="en">Student Awards</a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div> <div class="align-right image_style-small_500px_25_display_size_"> <div class="imageMediaStyle small_500px_25_display_size_"> <img loading="lazy" src="/chbe/sites/default/files/styles/small_500px_25_display_size_/public/2026-04/Jessica_Connell.png?itok=F_k4lQlF" width="375" height="355" alt="Jessica Connell with the Flatirons in the background."> </div> </div> <h2>Major</h2><p>Chemical and Biological Engineering</p><h2>CEAS Awards</h2><p>Academic Engagement Award<br>Culture Impact Award<br>Research Award</p><h2><strong>Post-graduation plans</strong></h2><p>Research at the Institute of Future Fuels at the DLR (German Aerospace Center) in Cologne, Germany</p><h2><span>Why were you selected for these awards?</span></h2><div><div><div><div><div><div><p><strong>Culture Impact</strong><br>I鈥檝e been a member of <a href="/studentgroup/ostem/" rel="nofollow">oSTEM</a> for four years and board member for three of those years. oSTEM, an LGBTQ+ STEM student organization, played an integral role in my time at CU. I was able to find community, gain professional experience, and leave a lasting impact on campus. As a board member, I helped take oSTEM to our first three National Conferences, displayed an AIDS memorial in the Pride Office, started our Alumni Network, and established ongoing connections with LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Groups in industry. oSTEM represents a deeply personal and important cause to me, and I鈥檓 grateful that I鈥檝e had the opportunity to give back to the community that has supported me through some of my hardest times and darkest moments.</p><p><strong>Research</strong><br>I鈥檝e participated in research with three different groups in my time at CU. I started by working in the Nabity group in Aerospace Engineering, working on ways to improve carbon dioxide capture and filtering for life support systems (such as on the International Space Station).</p><p>From there, I then joined the <a href="/lab/weimer/" rel="nofollow">Weimer lab</a>, working on utilizing concentrated sunlight to produce sustainable fuels. This work functions by taking water, heating it up to 1500C, and then flowing over an active material. This material has special properties that allows it to separate the oxygen out of water, leaving hydrogen which can then be captured. This hydrogen can then be combined with carbon monoxide to make syngas, a precursor to hydrocarbon fuels, or ammonia, which is used in fertilizer production necessary to feed over half the world鈥檚 population. While this work is not a perfect solution, it provides a step toward a more sustainable energy future and can be used with current energy infrastructure, making implementation much more feasible.</p><p>Lastly, I joined the <a href="/faculty/shields" rel="nofollow">Shields</a> lab this year to complete my senior thesis. In this lab, I鈥檝e worked on improving quantitative biodistribution measures to aid in cancer treatment research. One of the major challenges with cancer treatments is targeting, or getting the treatment to the desired part of the body. One way to study where treatments end up is a biodistribution study, or looking at the treatment concentration in different organs in the body. However, this process is typically labor intensive and destructive. My work has been developing quantitative calibrations of fluorescent images so that researchers can determine treatment concentration in each organ without destroying it. This will help determine which treatments have the highest targeting ability and thus should be studied more.</p><p><strong>Academic Engagement</strong><br>I have been a chemical engineering course assistant for the past year and a half. I have helped with Fluid Mechanics, Heat and Mass Transfer, Kinetics and Reactor Design, and was the head course assistant for a Mass Transfer bridge course. Though I love the concepts and challenging problems, my favorite part of being a CA has been my interactions with students. I love watching my students understand a concept for the first time or do really well on an exam they were worried about. I also love being able to provide support and advice about classes, professors, research, internships or even just to listen when someone has a bad day. Chemical engineering is difficult, and I want to make sure that the other students in the program have the community and support they need to do well.</p></div></div></div></div><h2>What is your favorite CU 麻豆影院 memory?</h2><p>My favorite memory from my time at CU has been hanging out with my friends on the front patio area of the biotech building. Whenever we need a break from being engineers, we all sit in the sun and nap, chat, play volleyball, stretch, do handstands and generally just enjoy a moment to ourselves. Chemical engineering is difficult, and as much as I love the hard work, I also cherish the moments of calm and community.</p><h2>What is your best piece of advice for other students?</h2><p>Ask for help. So many people at CU are in your corner and will support you if you ask. I would not be where I am today without the support of my family, friends, professors, mentors, and peers, and I'm incredibly grateful for their support and advice throughout my time at CU.</p><p class="text-align-center"><br><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-gold ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="/chbe/congratulations-our-2026-college-undergraduate-awardees" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Meet more of our awardees</span></a></p></div></div></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Wed, 08 Apr 2026 20:32:18 +0000 Susan Glairon 3892 at /chbe Major osteoarthritis research featured in The New York Times /chbe/2026/04/08/major-osteoarthritis-research-featured-new-york-times <span>Major osteoarthritis research featured in The New York Times</span> <span><span>Susan Glairon</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-04-08T09:35:41-06:00" title="Wednesday, April 8, 2026 - 09:35">Wed, 04/08/2026 - 09:35</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/chbe/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2026-04/stephanie_bryant%20copy.jpg?h=7b9cbdc9&amp;itok=FP_GAQ2A" width="1200" height="800" alt="Headshot of Professor Stephanie Bryant wearing glasses, and her lab in the background."> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/4" hreflang="en">News</a> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/229" hreflang="en">Research</a> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/464" hreflang="en">Stephanie Bryant</a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>Professor Stephanie Bryant is leading a $33.57 million federal grant to reverse osteoarthritis, and the New York Times is taking notice. </div> <script> window.location.href = `/mse/2026/04/07/major-osteoarthritis-research-featured-ny-times`; </script> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Wed, 08 Apr 2026 15:35:41 +0000 Susan Glairon 3890 at /chbe Arianna McCarty /chbe/2026/04/08/arianna-mccarty <span>Arianna McCarty</span> <span><span>Susan Glairon</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-04-08T05:19:34-06:00" title="Wednesday, April 8, 2026 - 05:19">Wed, 04/08/2026 - 05:19</time> </span> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/229" hreflang="en">Research</a> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/26" hreflang="en">Student Awards</a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div> <div class="align-right image_style-small_500px_25_display_size_"> <div class="imageMediaStyle small_500px_25_display_size_"> <img loading="lazy" src="/chbe/sites/default/files/styles/small_500px_25_display_size_/public/2026-04/Arianna%20McCarty_0.jpg?itok=GLKKG7qH" width="375" height="469" alt="Arianna McCarty with long hair and a building blurred in the background."> </div> </div> <h2>Major</h2><p>Chemical and Biological Engineering</p><h2>CEAS Awards</h2><p><span>Outstanding Undergraduate of the College</span><br><span>Academic Engagement Award</span><br><span>Research Award</span></p><h2><span>Future Plans</span></h2><p><span>Earn a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) &nbsp;in biological sciences from the Wellcome Sanger Institute at the University of Cambridge as a Churchill Scholar</span></p><h2><span>Why were you selected for these awards?</span></h2><p><strong>Academic Engagement Award</strong><br>Teaching and learning have always been inseparable for me at CU. Across seven course assistant (CA) roles, I've had an exceptional opportunity to deepen my understanding of content, and more importantly deepen my connection with the academic community in the CHBE department. Beyond my CA roles, I've pursued extensive graduate coursework, classes across many disciplines, and even had the chance to conduct independent studies on Japanese haiku and French existentialism with Dr. Anja Lange! CU has given me the space to pursue my curiosities, and I've never stopped taking it up on that offer.</p><p><strong>Research Award</strong><br>In the <a href="/lab/burdick/" rel="nofollow">Burdick Biomaterials and Biofabrication Laboratory,</a> I engineer heart tissues with specific regions of scarring to model what happens to the heart following a heart attack. Using biomaterials and 3D bioprinting techniques, we fabricate these tissues to closely mimic the architecture of a damaged heart and subsequently investigate how specific proteins might be targeted to reverse scarring. I have also contributed to research in the Clark Lab at CU Anschutz, where I investigate how our respiratory microbiome (the collection of bacteria naturally present in our airway) interacts with and protects against pathogens, with implications for how we understand and treat respiratory infections.</p><p><strong>Outstanding Undergraduate of the College Award</strong><br>My undergraduate experience has been defined by a commitment to research, teaching and community at CU 麻豆影院. Serving as a course assistant (CA) for seven courses has been one of the greatest gifts of my time here; it immersed me in the heart of the ChBE community in a way nothing else could have. Spanning three laboratories and four published papers, my research has ranged from respiratory microbiology to cardiac tissue engineering, allowing me to chase curiosities that only seem to deepen the further I go. Beyond the lab, working as an EMT, volunteering with <a href="/ewb/" rel="nofollow">Engineers Without Borders</a>, and holding roles with the Boettcher Foundation and Goldwater Scholar Council have each been ways I've tried to pour into the communities that have given so much to me.</p><h2><span>What is your favorite CU 麻豆影院 memory?</span></h2><p><span>I don't have one favorite memory, and I think that's the point. The memories I'll carry with me are the gnocchi nights with friends, the spontaneous lab dance parties and the conversations that went way longer than they were supposed to. Those in-between moments are where the real magic lives.</span></p><h2><span>What is your best piece of advice for other students?</span></h2><p>My best piece of advice for other students is to ask for help. There are so many people here at CU who are in your corner and will support you if you just ask. I would not be where I am today without the support of my family, friends, professors, mentors and peers, and I'm incredibly grateful for their support and advice throughout my time at CU.</p><h2><span>Related News</span></h2><p><a href="/chbe/2026/04/21/six-chemical-and-biological-engineering-students-earn-major-nsf-fellowships" rel="nofollow"><span>Six chemical and biological engineering students earn major NSF Fellowships</span></a><br><a href="/chbe/2026/04/14/honoring-our-2026-undergraduate-college-awardees" rel="nofollow"><span>Honoring our 2026 undergraduate college awardees</span></a><br><a href="/career/2026/04/03/cu-boulder-honors-2026-student-employees-year" rel="nofollow"><span>CU 麻豆影院 honors 2026 Student Employees of the Year</span></a><br><a href="/today/2026/01/28/student-awarded-churchill-scholarship-4th-cu-boulder-history" rel="nofollow"><span>Student awarded Churchill Scholarship鈥攖he 4th in CU 麻豆影院 history</span></a><br><a href="/chbe/arianna-mccarty-reaches-new-heights-astronaut-scholarship" rel="nofollow"><span>Arianna McCarty reaches new heights with Astronaut Scholarship</span></a><br><a href="https://boettcherfoundation.org/curiosity-and-contribution-boettcher-collaboration-grants-in-action/" rel="nofollow"><span>Curiosity and Contribution: Boettcher Collaboration Grants in Action</span></a><br><a href="/today/2025/04/17/cu-boulder-student-lands-prestigious-goldwater-scholarship" rel="nofollow"><span>CU 麻豆影院 student lands prestigious Goldwater Scholarship</span></a></p><p class="text-align-center"><br><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-gold ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="/chbe/congratulations-our-2026-college-undergraduate-awardees" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Meet more of our awardees</span></a></p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Wed, 08 Apr 2026 11:19:34 +0000 Susan Glairon 3889 at /chbe A simple shot shows promise to reverse osteoarthritis within weeks /chbe/simple-shot-shows-promise-reverse-osteoarthritis-within-weeks <span>A simple shot shows promise to reverse osteoarthritis within weeks</span> <span><span>Susan Glairon</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-04-06T15:58:40-06:00" title="Monday, April 6, 2026 - 15:58">Mon, 04/06/2026 - 15:58</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/chbe/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2026-04/Osteoarthritis_Grant.CC_.098%20copy.jpg?h=10d202d3&amp;itok=HF6B-gLe" width="1200" height="800" alt="Stephanie Bryant, professor of chemical and biological engineering, stands beside a seated colleague in a laboratory, observing a computer screen displaying microscope images while using a microscope workstation with lab equipment and sample containers nearby."> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/78"> News </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/4" hreflang="en">News</a> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/229" hreflang="en">Research</a> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/464" hreflang="en">Stephanie Bryant</a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>A CU 麻豆影院-led team has developed a suite of new therapies aimed at reversing osteoarthritis in a single injection. With animal studies showing promise and funding from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health extended, the team could be ready for human trials by 2028. Professor Stephanie Bryant is the principal investigator of the project.</div> <script> window.location.href = `/today/2026/04/06/simple-shot-shows-promise-reverse-osteoarthritis-within-weeks`; </script> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Mon, 06 Apr 2026 21:58:40 +0000 Susan Glairon 3886 at /chbe Kristi Anseth receives the Biomaterials Global Impact Award /chbe/kristi-anseth-receives-biomaterials-global-impact-award <span>Kristi Anseth receives the Biomaterials Global Impact Award</span> <span><span>Susan Glairon</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-03-31T07:12:51-06:00" title="Tuesday, March 31, 2026 - 07:12">Tue, 03/31/2026 - 07:12</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/chbe/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/article-thumbnail/kristi_anseth.png?h=1e284056&amp;itok=sqif95Gs" width="1200" height="800" alt="Kristi Anseth"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/78"> News </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/339" hreflang="en">Anseth</a> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/24" hreflang="en">Faculty Awards</a> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/4" hreflang="en">News</a> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/229" hreflang="en">Research</a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div> <div class="align-right image_style-small_500px_25_display_size_"> <div class="imageMediaStyle small_500px_25_display_size_"> <img loading="lazy" src="/chbe/sites/default/files/styles/small_500px_25_display_size_/public/article-thumbnail/kristi_anseth.png?itok=MRq48Grc" width="375" height="375" alt="Kristi Anseth"> </div> </div> <p>Distinguished Professor <a href="/chbe/kristi-s-anseth" rel="nofollow">Kristi Anseth</a> has received the&nbsp;Biomaterials Global Impact Award, which recognizes distinguished research and development accomplishments in the field of biomaterials.</p><p>The award will be presented at the 35th Annual Conference of the European Society for Biomaterials in Antwerp, Belgium, from September 7-11, 2026.&nbsp;<br><br><span>Anseth, also the associate faculty director of CU 麻豆影院鈥檚&nbsp;</span><a href="/biofrontiers/" rel="nofollow"><span>BioFrontiers Institute</span></a><span>, designs biomaterials that interact with living tissues to promote repair and regeneration, aiding in healing injuries and diseases. Her lab works with hydrogels鈥攁 degradable biomaterial鈥攖o deliver molecules at the right time and sequence to accelerate the healing process. Her team is also growing miniaturized versions of heart cells and tissues, known as organoids, to better understand disease mechanisms and explore new types of heart disease treatments, such as to repair heart muscles after heart attacks.</span></p><p><span>Anseth is also among the select few innovators elected to all three National Academies: Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. Beyond her scientific contributions, she has been recognized with more than 50 major awards and delivered over 60 honorary lectureships worldwide.&nbsp;</span></p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>Distinguished Professor Kristi Anseth has received the&nbsp;Biomaterials Global Impact Award, which recognizes distinguished research and development accomplishments in the field of biomaterials. Anseth is known for developing tissue substitutes that improve treatments for conditions like broken bones and heart valve disease. </div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Tue, 31 Mar 2026 13:12:51 +0000 Susan Glairon 3884 at /chbe Could 3D-printed livers make transplant lists a thing of the past? /chbe/could-3d-printed-livers-make-transplant-lists-thing-past <span>Could 3D-printed livers make transplant lists a thing of the past?</span> <span><span>Susan Glairon</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-03-24T08:30:09-06:00" title="Tuesday, March 24, 2026 - 08:30">Tue, 03/24/2026 - 08:30</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/chbe/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2026-03/AdobeStock_780286042%20copy.jpg?h=07089ada&amp;itok=Aj31E_f0" width="1200" height="800" alt="An AI generated illustration of a liver. Adobe Stock photo"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/78"> News </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/299" hreflang="en">Jason Burdick News</a> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/4" hreflang="en">News</a> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/229" hreflang="en">Research</a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>CU 麻豆影院 researchers and partners at MIT, Harvard and Columbia are working to recreate the human liver鈥檚 complex structure in the lab. With support from a $25 million ARPA-H grant, the team aims to develop 3D-printed, transplantable liver tissue made from human cells that the body won鈥檛 reject. Professor Jason Burdick's lab at CU鈥檚 BioFrontiers Institute will lead the 3D printing component of the project. </div> <script> window.location.href = `/today/2026/03/17/could-3d-printed-livers-make-transplant-lists-thing-past`; </script> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Tue, 24 Mar 2026 14:30:09 +0000 Susan Glairon 3880 at /chbe Scientists develop hydrogel platform that mimics human tissue /chbe/scientists-develop-hydrogel-platform-mimics-human-tissue <span>Scientists develop hydrogel platform that mimics human tissue</span> <span><span>Susan Glairon</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-03-12T16:55:27-06:00" title="Thursday, March 12, 2026 - 16:55">Thu, 03/12/2026 - 16:55</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/chbe/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2026-03/Screenshot%202026-03-02%20at%2012.57.01_1.png?h=5c542056&amp;itok=Cgw9dRgF" width="1200" height="800" alt="Microscopy images comparing cell behavior in different hydrogels. Columns labeled 鈥渘o cells,鈥 鈥渧iscoelastic,鈥 and 鈥渆lastic鈥 show green hydrogel shapes (circle, square, triangle). In viscoelastic hydrogels, purple mesenchymal stromal cells spread and deform the green matrix. In elastic hydrogels, the purple cells remain confined and clustered without spreading. Scale bar: 500 micrometers."> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/78"> News </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/339" hreflang="en">Anseth</a> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/299" hreflang="en">Jason Burdick News</a> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/474" hreflang="en">Kirkpatrick</a> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/4" hreflang="en">News</a> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/432" hreflang="en">PhD</a> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/229" hreflang="en">Research</a> <a href="/chbe/taxonomy/term/345" hreflang="en">White</a> </div> <a href="/chbe/susan-glairon">Susan Glairon</a> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-content-media ucb-article-content-media-above"> <div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--media paragraph--view-mode--default ucb-article-media-paragraph"> <figure class="ucb-paragraph-media__image"> <img class="ucb-article-media-img ucb-article-media-img--original" src="/chbe/sites/default/files/styles/original_image_size/public/2026-03/Screenshot%202026-03-02%20at%2012.57.01.png?itok=DFz39XX7" alt="Microscopy images comparing cell behavior in different hydrogels. Columns labeled 鈥渘o cells,鈥 鈥渧iscoelastic,鈥 and 鈥渆lastic鈥 show green hydrogel shapes (circle, square, triangle). In viscoelastic hydrogels, purple mesenchymal stromal cells spread and deform the green matrix. In elastic hydrogels, the purple cells remain confined and clustered without spreading. Scale bar: 500 micrometers." loading="lazy"> <figcaption class="ucb-paragraph-media__caption" style="text-align: left;"> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p>Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (purple) interact with a hydrogel matrix (green). In viscoelastic materials, the cells can spread and reshape the matrix.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> </span> </figcaption> </figure> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ucb-article-text d-flex align-items-center" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p dir="ltr"><span>For decades, lab-grown cells have been studied in materials that don鈥檛 reflect the softness and flexibility of human tissue.&nbsp;</span></p> <div class="align-right image_style-small_500px_25_display_size_"> <div class="imageMediaStyle small_500px_25_display_size_"> <img loading="lazy" src="/chbe/sites/default/files/styles/small_500px_25_display_size_/public/2026-03/Bruce%20Kirkpatric_0.jpeg?itok=LAkfesNc" width="375" height="382" alt="Bruce Kirkpatrick smiling while sitting on a couch, holding a hairless Sphynx cat that looks off to the side. A textured gray blanket is draped over the back of the couch."> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p>Bruce Kirkpatrick</p> </span> </div> <p dir="ltr"><span>Researchers at the 麻豆影院 have developed a water-rich, Jell-O-like material that more closely mimics how real tissues move, stretch and relax and whose liquid or solid state can be precisely controlled by light.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>The&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.cell.com/matter/abstract/S2590-2385(25)00567-3" rel="nofollow"><span>work was recently published</span></a><span> in the journal&nbsp;Matter&nbsp;and was directed by Distinguished Professor&nbsp;</span><a href="/chbe/kristi-s-anseth" rel="nofollow"><span>Kristi Anseth</span></a><span>.&nbsp;</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>These new hydrogels will help scientists understand how mechanical cues from tissues affect cells, said Bruce Kirkpatrick, (PhDBioEngr'25), the paper鈥檚 first author and a third-year medical student. These insights could help improve our understanding of disease and how cells respond to drugs. It could also shed light on cell development鈥攈ow stem cells mature into specialized cell types.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>鈥淭he convention of growing cells on plastic for drug testing is problematic because plastic is stiff, while human tissue is flexible,鈥 Kirkpatrick said. 鈥淯nless you're studying bone or other cells adapted to rigid environments, it鈥檚 not an appropriate mechanical setting for studying how cells respond to drugs.鈥</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Kirkpatrick added that a key advantage of the hydrogel-based cell culture platform is its three-dimensional structure, which better reflects the environment cells experience in the body.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>鈥淭he material we developed will help researchers better understand how mechanical environments influence cell behavior, not just the biochemical cues cells receive through surrounding liquid and nearby cells,鈥 he said.</span></p><h2><span>Shaped by light</span></h2> <div class="align-right image_style-small_500px_25_display_size_"> <div class="imageMediaStyle small_500px_25_display_size_"> <img loading="lazy" src="/chbe/sites/default/files/styles/small_500px_25_display_size_/public/2026-03/Lea%20Pearl%20Hibbard6979%20%281%29_0.JPG?itok=9pBlqNV1" width="375" height="338" alt="Lea Pearl Hibbard wearing a button down shirt and standing in front of a blurred building"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p>Lea Hibbard</p> </span> </div> <p dir="ltr"><span>Most hydrogels form spontaneously when two liquids are mixed, but these gels provide less control and precision than the newly developed materials, Kirkpatrick said. In addition, researchers traditionally have shaped hydrogels using extrusion printing, a process similar to squeezing Play-Doh through a tube.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>Instead, Kirkpatrick and the research team combined the new hydrogel鈥檚 dynamic properties with photopolymerization, using light to transform liquids into solids and encapsulate cells during three-dimensional printing. The new approach is faster and provides precise control over shape and material properties, Kirkpatrick said.</span><br><br><span>鈥淲ith photopolymerization, we can control exactly how much light is applied, where it goes and when the hydrogel forms,鈥 Kirkpatrick added. 鈥淭he amount of light determines how much the material gels and its resulting mechanical properties. It gives researchers control over the shape, timing of cell encapsulation and spatial variation in properties.鈥</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>For example, if cells are encapsulated in a droplet and one side is exposed to light for only a few seconds while the other receives a longer or stronger dose, researchers can study what happens at the boundary between those regions, observing how cells migrate between them and how differences in mechanical properties influence their behavior.</span></p> <div class="align-right image_style-small_500px_25_display_size_"> <div class="imageMediaStyle small_500px_25_display_size_"> <img loading="lazy" src="/chbe/sites/default/files/styles/small_500px_25_display_size_/public/2026-03/Abhishek%20Dhand.png?itok=-8IQbIAq" width="375" height="380" alt="Abhishek Dhand, wearing a Patagonia jacket, stands in front of blurred trees."> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p><span>Abhishek Dhand</span></p> </span> </div> <p dir="ltr"><span>The researchers also studied intestinal organoids鈥攖iny lab-grown versions of the intestine鈥攖o see how they behaved in different environments. In the body, these cells exist in a soft, viscoelastic environment, where tissues stretch or deform under stress.&nbsp;</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>When the team placed the organoids in a hydrogel with similar properties, the cells took on natural shapes and expressed the right proteins. In other words, they behaved like they do inside the body.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>鈥淭hese findings suggest that viscoelasticity is essential for proper cell function and organization,鈥 Kirkpatrick said.</span></p><h2><span>Next steps</span></h2><p dir="ltr"><span>The researchers鈥 long-term goal is to use three-dimensional printing to produce large, cell-laden arrays of the new material for drug testing or disease modeling. This approach allows them to quickly create identical samples with high quality control and study how cells respond to gene mutations鈥攕uch as removing a disease-linked gene鈥攐r to varying drug concentrations in the hydrogel environment.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span>The material could also help scientists study fundamental processes, such as how embryos organize cells to form correctly shaped organs, and investigate diseases like fibrosis, in which the body overproduces scar tissue in response to injury or chronic inflammation.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><em><span>Co-first authors&nbsp;</span></em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhishek-dhand/" rel="nofollow"><em><span>Abhishek Dhand</span></em></a><em><span>, (PhDBioMedEngr鈥25), and PhD student&nbsp;</span></em><a href="/chbe/lea-pearl-jian-qiao-hibbard" rel="nofollow"><em><span>Lea Hibbard</span></em></a><em><span> &nbsp;(ChemBioEngr鈥24) contributed equally to this study.&nbsp;CU 麻豆影院 faculty involved in the project included Professor&nbsp;</span></em><a href="/chbe/jason-burdick" rel="nofollow"><em><span>Jason Burdick</span></em></a><em><span>, Distinguished Professor&nbsp;</span></em><a href="/chbe/christopher-n-bowman" rel="nofollow"><em><span>Christopher Bowman</span></em></a><em><span> and Professor&nbsp;</span></em><a href="/chbe/timothy-j-white" rel="nofollow"><em><span>Tim White</span></em></a><em><span>.</span></em></p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>A new light-controlled hydrogel developed at CU 麻豆影院 mimics the movement and flexibility of real tissue, giving scientists a more realistic way to study cells and disease. The work was recently published in the journal Matter and was directed by Distinguished Professor Kristi Anseth. </div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Thu, 12 Mar 2026 22:55:27 +0000 Susan Glairon 3876 at /chbe