Joshua Atkinson
Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Omenn-Darling Bioengineering Institute
Andlinger Center Associated Faculty
Location: E330 Engineering Quadrangle
Phone Number:
Email Address: joshatkinson@princeton.edu
Research Description:
Dr. Atkinson’s research aims to use approaches from synthetic biology, protein engineering, biophysics and electrochemistry to understand and control how microbes and proteins transport electrons. The Atkinson Lab seeks to elucidate the critical role electron transport plays in energy and information processing in cells and microbial communities and to use this knowledge to engineer new biotechnologies that address societal challenges in sustainability, environmental monitoring & remediation, chemical synthesis, and resource recovery & extraction. Areas of current emphasis are the development and application of design rules for (i) how microorganisms use proteins to regulate electron transfer in metabolic networks, (ii) how electron flows shape the structure of microbial communities that impact geochemical cycles, and (iii) how living electronic materials can be built that couple the information processing and catalytic capabilities of biology with electrochemical devices.
Research Areas: Electrochemistry
Dimitrios Fraggedakis
Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering
Andlinger Center Associated Faculty
Location: A417 Engineering Quadrangle
Phone Number: 609-258-4402
Email Address: dfrag@princeton.edu
Research Description:
My research uses theory and computation to understand the fundamental transport and reaction processes that occur in electrochemical systems relevant to energy storage and environmental applications, such as Li-ion batteries, electrochemical CO2 capture, and water treatment.
Many commonly used electrochemical devices, including batteries found in phones and electric cars, are characterized by structural and chemical disorder, which is known to result in reduced performance and a shorter lifespan. However, the underlying mechanisms causing these phenomena are still poorly understood. By investigating the influence of disorder on reaction and transport mechanisms, our goal is to gain a deeper understanding of electrochemical and transport processes and propose strategies to improve the performance and lifetime of electrochemical devices. We are interested in exploring several fundamental questions, such as: (1) How does structural and chemical disorder affect the ion transport mechanism in ionic conductors? (2) How does the presence of structural heterogeneities and thin films at electrode interfaces alter the electrochemical activity? (3) How does structural and topological disorder impact the performance and lifetime of electrochemical devices?
Our approach to addressing these challenges integrates theoretical methodologies inspired by non-equilibrium thermodynamics, stochastic processes, statistical mechanics, condensed matter physics, quantum dynamics, and dynamical systems. We also employ continuum and molecular computational methodologies, such as finite element methods, molecular dynamics, Monte Carlo methods, enhanced sampling techniques and free-energy calculations. As a result, our work is highly interdisciplinary, lying at the intersection of engineering, physics, chemistry, materials science, and applied mathematics.
Research Areas: Electrochemistry