Guigen Zhang, a University of Georgia researcher with a focus on micro/nanoscale bioengineering, has been appointed as deputy director of the Institute for Biological Interfaces of Engineering (IBIOE) at Clemson University.
Zhang, who received his Ph.D. in bioengineering at Clemson in 1994, began his research career at Northwestern University in Illinois and joined the University of Georgia in 2001 to pioneer a bio-micro/nanotechnology program.
His research focuses on the development of new devices that combine microscale and nanoscale structures for use in tomorrow’s sensors, testing systems and diagnostic devices, as well as a wide range of other applications.
“Dr. Zhang brings a unique blend of academic and industrial experiences to IBIOE,” said Karen Burg, institute director and holder of Clemson’s Hunter Endowed Chair in Bioengineering. “He is an innovator whose leadership and entrepreneurial skills will be most valuable in the success of interdisciplinary initiatives with real-world focus.”
Zhang said he was attracted to the IBOE position because it offers “the opportunity to build a program much bigger than an individual faculty member can build.”
“You want to do research that leads to societal benefits,” he said. “If you can develop novel solutions to real problems, and also create opportunities for economic development and wealth-creating enterprises, that is very gratifying.”
Zhang has firsthand experience with the sort of spinoff businesses he hopes to encourage through his work at IBIOE. While he was at Northwestern University, he founded a small business and secured funding through the federal Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs for the development of a multifunctional testing system for biological tissues.
In addition to his focus on the development of integrated micro/nano structures for various biomedical, biological and engineering applications, Zhang uses computer simulation techniques to understand the underlying mechanisms of these structures.
“At the interface of micro and nano structures, the issues get very complicated,” he said. “Our approach is to take advantage of computers and use both simulation and experimentation to understand what is going on at these scales.”
A micrometer is one millionth of a meter. A human hair is about 50 micrometers wide. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter, or a thousand times smaller than a micrometer. Anything smaller than 100 nanometers is considered to be nanoscale.
The Institute for Biological Interfaces of Engineering is an interdisciplinary research institute focused on cellular engineering for biomedicine and the development of diagnostic tissue test systems for the improvement of health care. As deputy director, Zhang will oversee an array of research and industrial initiatives, including the conversion of the Clemson University Riggs cleanroom facility to a bio-cleanroom research and training facility for IBIOE initiatives.
“We want to develop close ties with industry to help them solve their difficult issues, and we would also like to see the development of spinoff businesses,” he said. “I am very excited about the possibilities and excited to be back at Clemson.”
Zhang has an academic appointment as a professor in the Department of Bioengineering.
via Clemson
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