The Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST) program supports the enhancement of research capabilities of minority-serving institutions through the establishment of centers that effectively integrate education and research. CREST promotes the development of new knowledge, enhancements of the research productivity of individual faculty, and an expanded presence of students historically underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines.
With CREST program support, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University will establish the Center for Complex Materials Design for Multidimensional Additive Processing. The Center will promote advancements in the manufacture of novel combined materials in the micrometer scale for applications in magnetic shielding, energy and bio-medical technology. The ability to pattern multiple materials, on micrometer length scales, in three dimensions is critical for several technological applications including composites, microfluidics, photonics, and tissue engineering. The Center will be comprised of an interdisciplinary team of faculty from Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Biological and Agricultural Systems Engineering, Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Physics.
Simulations coupled with experiments will result in a molecular level understanding of the forces governing self-assembly in different materials. Printing of three dimensional tumor cell cultures on a chip using appropriate hydrogels will allow evaluation of the cytotoxicity of anticancer drugs and nanoparticles. Enhanced cell efficiency of printed photovoltaic cells will impact applications in portable electronics and power generation in automotive and space applications. The combined effect of flow and magnetic field induced orientation of novel nanoparticles will result in lightweight materials with enhanced dielectric properties for shielding and sensing applications.
Undergraduate courses based on fundamentals of self-assembly, nanoparticle synthesis and characterization, additive manufacturing, nanomaterials in biology, and nanoparticles in medicine will be developed and offered to Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University students. A laboratory course in materials will be offered to graduate and undergraduate students involved in materials research. The Center will produce 15 Ph.Ds., directly impact 40 undergraduates and influence 100 graduate students and 300 undergraduates through collaborations and coursework.
