My current research activities are focused on the processing and characterization of biopolymers, a diverse and
versatile class of materials including polynucleotides, polypeptides, polysaccharides, and polyesters. We are particularly interested in developing new separation processes that solve the technical and economical challenges associated with biopolymer production at various scales. Toward this end, we typically focus on microscale processes (MSP) - the study of conventional bioprocesses (e.g. chromatography, membrane filtration) but in miniaturized formats such as micro-columns, micro-well plates, and microfluidic devices. The advantages of this approach are considerable. First, it is extremely cost-effective since it requires minimal amounts of material. Thus, it can be used to thoroughly explore the entire process design space of a process and determine the optimum operating conditions. Second, it is very efficient since it uses a parallel architecture approach. Thus, this format allows for a high-throughput development strategy instead of the more common hypothesis driven approach. Finally, integrated instrumentation can be used to monitor in real-time the process performance
