About Our Group
Inspired by Nature, our group works to understand and ultimately control biological systems through surface interactions and other environmental factors. Over the millennia, organisms such as sharks and pitcher plants have developed methods to keep their surfaces clean or perform specific functions such as trapping insects. Following this example, we look to guide the interactions of biomolecules, micro-organisms, and cells using non-toxic, non-invasive surface-based methods to accomplish specific goals. Our work can be applied to medicine, where we reduce clot formation or the onset of infection; to industry, where we mitigate fouling of membranes and other surfaces to help keep people healthy. Through the development of these technologies, we also strive to understand the basic science behind biological surface interactions to provide a basis for future technologies and applications.
About Dr. Howell
Caitlin Howell is an Associate Professor of Bioengineering and head of the Biointerface Lab at Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and the Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering at the University of Maine. With a BS in Biology and Mathematics, an MS in Plant Pathology, a PhD in Physical Chemistry, and postdoctoral training in bio-inspired materials engineering, she brings a unique combination of expertise spanning biology, chemistry, and materials science. Her research focuses on understanding and controlling biological systems at interfaces to solve pressing challenges in medicine, the environment, and industry. Since 2016, Dr. Howell and her team have worked to translate inspiration from nature into practical, high-value solutions by rethinking familiar materials in innovative ways.
