A technical seminar on “Emergent Biohybrid Machines” was organized under the Biotechnology Program, Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (MNS), School of Data and Sciences, at BRAC University’s Mohakhali campus auditorium on 21 December, 2022.
The speaker of the event was Dr. Taher A. Saif, Edward William and Jane Marr Gutgsell Professors at Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, US. Dr. Munima Haque, the Biotechnology Program Director, Dr. AFM Yusuf Haider, Chairperson of the MNS department, and other faculty members from the MNS, computer science and engineering and electrical and electronic engineering departments welcomed the speaker. Moreover, Dr. Haider presented a token of appreciation to Dr. Saif.
The field of biohybrid mechanics has rapidly expanded over the past 10 years. By combining engineered, synthetic components with living biological materials, new robotics solutions have been developed that harness the adaptability of living muscles, the sensitivity of living sensory cells, and even the computational abilities of living neurons.
Dr. Saif’s lab is currently seeking to understand the phenomena at small scale using the principles of mechanics -- mechanics of living cells and tissues and nanoscale materials -- both through experiments and in theory.
His speech focused on his current research includes tumor microenvironment, mechanics of neurons and cardiac cells, and development of biological machines. It explores the underlying mechanism of cell-cell and cell-scaffold interactions, as well as the biophysical processes by which cells remodel their microenvironment.
A discussion was held afterwards and the event concluded with Dr. Haque expressing gratitude to Dr. Saif who was her teacher during her PhD and postdoctoral research at the Biological Engineering Program and Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Dr. Saif attained his Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology and a Master of Science in civil engineering from Washington State University in the USA. He has a PhD in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics from Cornell University USA, and a post-doctoral degree from the School of Electrical Engineering and National Nano-Fabrication Facility, Cornell University, NY, USA.
He is the recipient of 2020 Engineering Science Medal from the Society of Engineering Science, and the 2018 Warner T. Koiter Medal from American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He has guided many students through their PhD and postdoctoral research and has secured numerous research grants and awards from various reputed funding agencies in the USA.