Our Research
Making possibilities realities.
Our research portfolio is highly interdisciplinary and pushes the boundaries of traditional classifications in materials science research to establish a new paradigm for materials design and innovation. The department is organized into two broad overlapping research themes: Methodology Science and Discovery Science.
Methodology Science
The Methodology Science research cluster focuses on advancing and/or developing new techniques in experimental and computational materials science.
Discovery Science
The Discovery Science research cluster emphasizes innovations in the development of new materials, processes and expanding the design envelope for building devices and systems for a broad range of technological applications.
Major Projects
Biology with X-ray Free Electron Lasers (BioXFEL) is a Science and Technology Center established by the National Science Foundation. BioXFEL represents a new paradigm for materials science research. For the first time, data sciences, physics, materials and chemistry of soft matter are converging to enable scientists to view the shape of a molecule as well as how it changes in real-time. The research can potentially transform a broad range of scientific fields focused on structural biology and drug development, and extend it to potential innovations in environmental technologies and development of new materials.
The Collaboratory for a Regenerative Economy (CoRE) is an integrated research, education and civic entrepreneurship initiative that links materials design with manufacturing technologies in coordination with the needs of industry and front-line communities. Our aim is to advance, in an accelerated manner, science-based solutions that enhance human and social capital.
The Materials Data Engineering Laboratory (MaDE@UB) will introduce the tools of machine intelligence - such as machine learning, pattern recognition, materials informatics and modeling, high-performance computing and other cutting-edge technologies - to transform data libraries into a laboratory that not only stores and searches for information but also predicts and processes information to discover materials that transform how society addresses climate change, national security and other pressing issues. The lab builds upon significant investments UB has made in recent years to build a hub for advanced manufacturing in Western New York.
Research Areas
Methodology Research Cluster
Materials Informatics
Advancing the tools of applied mathematics, statistics, machine learning, machine vision and information science, into experimental and computational materials science.
Computational Materials Science
Research in the field of computing, multiscale modeling, and simulation of structure-property relationships in hard and soft materials.
Imaging, Spectroscopy and Metrology
Specialized research in high resolution imaging, time-resolved spectroscopy and property measurements for molecular scale materials characterization, and research directed towards instrumentation development and sensor design.
Discovery Research Cluster
Synthesis and Materials Discovery
Exploring all aspects of materials synthesis and processing methods that promote the accelerated discovery of new materials and emergent phenomena, including high throughput protein crystal growth, low dimensional materials, nanostructured multifunctional materials and alloy design.
Renewable Energy and Sustainability
Advancing accelerated discovery, modeling, characterization and nanofabrication of materials for energy storage and conversion for renewable energy and carbon neutral technologies.
Artificial Intelligence for Materials Innovation
Research at the nexus of materials informatics, human-machine interactions and robotics leading to accelerated innovation in environmentally conscious materials manufacturing and sustainable materials design.
Labs and Facilities
Our department provides a comprehensive set of computational and laboratory facilities for faculty, students and researchers. These unique labs serve as focal points for creating a shared and cooperative research environment for promoting interdisciplinary research among diverse research groups.
