Materials Research Science and Engineering Center

Outreach Highlights 2013

Three pictures of students working in labs, using microscopes and computers.
Brandeis MRSEC Active Matter Workshop

On February 20th, 2013 over 30 members of the Brandeis MRSEC community participated in an active-matter workshop exploring the movement and structure of Chlamydomonas and Salmonella. Participants heard talks from post-docs, performed laboratory exercises and used computer simulations to model movement patterns of these organisms.

Top picture: Students walking to the MRSEC labs. Middle picture: Students in a classroom listening to a presentation. Bottom picture: 3 petri dishes labeled "Water 1#," "Water 2#" and "Water 3#."
Brandeis MRSEC High School Field Trip

Twenty five high school students from Connecticut visited the MRSEC laboratories at Brandeis to engage in hands-on activities on microscopy and molecular modeling. The students participated in discussions by MRSEC staff and toured research lab facilities.

Two young girls and their mom watching a MRSEC researcher demonstrate a pirate themed activity. Bottom: A MRSEC researcher posing for a picture with a young girl in a pirate costume.
Brandeis MRSEC Sponsored “Pirate Science Days”

Discovery Museum, Acton, November

Brandeis researchers shared their research through pirate themed activities such as looking at animals that live in the sea and testing densities of materials to explore how things float. The event was attended by over 100 museum patrons.

Top: Student standing with her poster titled "Characterizing the Effect of ATP Concentration on the in vitro Dynamics and Self-Assembly of Microtubules. Middle: Student with his poster. Bottom picture: Group picture of the six REU students at the research symposia.
Brandeis MRSEC REU 2012

August 1, 2012

Six students participating in the Brandeis REU presented their work at the Division of Sciences Undergraduate Research Symposia on August 1, 2012 with over 60 other students from across all disciplines of science.

Top: 2 students working in a lab, holding slides, dressed in lab coats, face masks, head covering and gloves. Bottom: Closeup shot of a slide.
Industrial Outreach

  • Albright Technologies: Leominster, MA 17 years in business; 20 employees

  • Injection molding masters currently cost $100k

  • Brandeis MRSEC assisted in developing rapid prototyping manufacturing technology for microfluidic injection molded thermoplastics based on photolithography, thereby reducing cost by several factors!

Large room at a symposium with presenter at the podium speaking, and many attendees at tables.
Industrial Outreach New England Complex Fluids Industrial Symposium

September 21, 2012

Rick Jacubinas (BASF)
Darren Link (Raindance)
Ian Morrison (Harvard)
Chris Harrison (Schlumberger)

The panel addressed the following:

  • What kind of training and education do industrial labs seek in job applicants?
  • What knowledge should applicants possess? experience? skills? creativity? business knowledge?
  • How does research done in industry compare to that done in universities?
  • How common are collaborations between industry and academic researchers?
  • What makes a successful collaboration?
Top: Students wearing protective clothing in cleanroom during a training session. Middle: Students conducting microfluidic experiments. Bottom: Group photo after finishing the 2012 MRSEC summer course. They are posed in front of the entrance to the Martin A. Fisher School of Physics entrance.

Top: Students in cleanroom during a training session. Middle: Students conducting microfluidic experiments. Bottom: Group photo after finishing the 2012 MRSEC summer course.

Microfuluidics Summer Course

In 2011, we initiated an introductory microfluidics summer course to train participants in various micro-fabrication techniques. Fourteen graduate and post-doctoral students from ten different institutions attended the course in 2012.