Exploiting biology in functional materials


The intellectual focus of this RIMSE Summer School is to engineer living systems to generate new polymeric materials. These composite materials can be responsive to diverse stimuli and are capable of generating complex, genetically encoded material outputs. Such materials can enable biosynthetic electronics, chemical threat decontamination, synthesis and/or delivery of therapeutics, and soft robotics, among other applications. Led by Professor Jonathan Pokorski, the course offers an introduction to skills relevant to synthesis and fabrication of engineered living materials. Trainees will learn techniques to create materials at the living/non-living interface, including polymer chemistry, additive manufacture, and soft matter characterization.

For questions, please contact mrsec@ucsd.edu

2026 SSELM Participants

Asuncion, Jarnett

BIO: Jarnett is a master’s student in Chemical Engineering at the University of California, San Diego. His interests focus on connecting polymer chemistry and materials science for biomedical applications. Through RIMSE, he hopes to continue building his skills as a researcher. In his free time, he enjoys being outdoors, including hiking and camping.
ORCID: 0009-0004-0240-5260
Email: j1asuncion_at_ucsd_dot_edu
Mentor: 

Bell, Ryan

BIO: Ryan Bell is a senior NanoEngineering undergraduate at University of California, San Diego (class of 2026) with a minor in Biology, and will begin the M.S. program in NanoEngineering in the fall. His interests include materials science and engineering, nanoscale systems, and biology and biomaterials. He looks forward to expanding his knowledge and skills in the RIMSE Summer School on Predictive Assembly (PA). In his free time, he enjoys martial arts, chess, and hiking.
ORCID: 0009-0005-4882-8901
Email: rnbell_at_ucsd_dot_edu
Mentor: 

Chalmers, Jesse

BIO: Jesse is a biochemistry major transferring to UC San Diego in Fall 2026 from Miramar College, where he works as a biology and chemistry tutor. He loves to learn and help others learn, and his ultimate goal is to become a research-active professor. In addition to his passion for science, he enjoys reading and gaming, and hopes to one day write science fiction and fantasy novels of his own.
ORCID: 0009-0008-0206-9446
Email:
Mentor: 

Chen, Steven

BIO: Steven is a rising junior at Canyon Crest Academy. His prior research experience has focused on developing hydrogel materials for applications in nanorobotics and environmental engineering. He is interested in engineered living materials (ELM) and AI. This summer, he hopes to explore ELM applications in biomedical engineering and environmental protection.
ORCID: 0009-0008-7145-6685
Mentor: 

Culp, Victoria

BIO: Victoria is an undergraduate 3rd year at North Carolina A&T State University participating in the Research Immersion in Materials Science and Engineering program for Summer 2026. She has previous experience researching tissue engineering through a biopolymer lens for wound closure applications. Her interests are chemistry, and AI applications in drug development and delivery techniques. She can’t wait for this opportunity to allow her to broaden her range and experience in the bioengineering field.
ORCID: 0009-0000-0873-3936
Email: vcculp_at_aggies_dot_ncat_dot_edu
Mentor: 

Frank, Ella (2026 REU Participant)

BIO: Ella is a rising senior studying Bioengineering at the University of California, Berkeley, where she has worked in the Design for Nanomanufacturing Lab on hydrogel substrate development. She is interested in developing polymeric biomaterials for implants and regenerative medicine, as well as improving the sustainability of polymer systems. She is eager to explore engineered living materials in the Pokorski Lab this summer and learn more about their applications in human health and the environment. In her free time, she enjoys practicing yoga, spending time in nature, and drawing.
ORCID: 0009-0004-5315-1969
Email: ellafrank_at_berkeley_dot_edu
Mentor: 

Kibria, Rania

BIO: Rania is currently a second-year undergraduate student at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) majoring in Biomedical Engineering. Her academic interests focus on the applications of regenerative medicine, clinical engineering, rehabilitation engineering, and tissue engineering. In her leisure time, Rania enjoys exploring different food places and trying different cuisines and watching movies!
ORCID: 0009-0008-1356-192X
Email: rania_dot_kibria01_at_student_dot_csulb_dot_edu
Mentor: 

Klinkenborg, Mikayla

BIO: Mikayla Klinkenborg is a chemical engineering undergraduate at UC San Diego (Class of 2027) with a passion for building more sustainable systems, products, and ways of living. She is particularly drawn to the role innovative materials can play in transforming how we produce and consume. Mikayla finds deep inspiration in the elegance of the natural world. Guided by the principles of biomimicry, she likes to approach design and innovation by drawing on billions of years of evolutionary research to translate nature's time-tested solutions into smarter, more efficient, and longer-lasting human systems. Her goal is to contribute to work that doesn't just improve our lives, but genuinely benefits the planet and everything it sustains.
ORCID: 0009-0007-7670-0037
Email: mklinkenborg_at_ucsd_dot_edu
Mentor: 

Lopez Gomez de Segura, Aurora

BIO: Aurora Lopez is a first-year student majoring in Neurobiology at the University of California, San Diego. She is participating in the 2026 UC San Diego Research Immersion in Materials Science & Engineering (RIMSE), where she is part of the Summer School on Engineered Living Materials (ELM) under the mentorship of Professor Ivonne Gonzalez Gamboa. Her academic interests lie at the intersection of neuroscience and emerging materials, particularly in how biological systems can inspire innovative technologies. Aurora plans to pursue graduate studies and is considering a Ph.D. in a related field. Originally from Spain, she is fluent in Spanish.
ORCID: 0009-0001-3590-9180
Email: alopezgomezdesegura_at_ucsd_dot_edu
Mentor: 

Robison, Noah (2026 REU Participant)

BIO: Noah Robison is a third-year chemical engineering student at the University of Rochester.
ORCID: 0009-0002-8599-3437
Email: nrobison_at_u_dot_rochester_dot_edu
Mentor: 

Roman, Roquel John

BIO: Roquel Roman is an undergraduate Biomedical Engineering student California State University, Long Beach. He is currently a in Dr. Siavash Ahrar's Lab where he builds purpose specific tools to study biology. He aims to learn more about material science and its applications through this program. In his free time he enjoys playing video games, reading, and trying new food and local coffee shops.
ORCID: 0009-0003-8557-1290
Email: roqueljohn_dot_roman_at_student_dot_csulb_dot_edu
Mentor: 

Schott, James (2026 REU Participant)

BIO: James is a third-year transfer student at UC Davis, majoring in Mechanical Engineering. He is planning to pursue a master’s in Robotics or Materials Science, and aiming to work on robotic prosthetics.
ORCID: 0009-0000-7138-1793
Email: jsschott_at_ucdavis_dot_edu
Mentor: 

Shi, Zhaoqi

BIO: Zhaoqi Shi is an incoming Ph.D. student in Chemistry and Biochemistry at UC San Diego. He earned dual B.S. degrees in Physics and Biological Science from Zhejiang University. He will join Hongbo Zhao’s lab, where he is interested in applying computational and theoretical methods to the study of biomolecular condensates and macromolecular interactions.
ORCID: 0009-0005-4820-8251
Email: 
Mentor: 

White, Jacob (2026 REU Participant)

BIO: Jacob is a first-year undergraduate materials engineering major at the University of Central Florida. He is particularly interested in biomanufacturing, biomaterials, and drug discovery. His previous research was focused on using biomineralization to manufacture a more sustainable alternative to concrete at Montana State University. Outside of the lab, he enjoys going to the gym, sailing, and reading.
ORCID: 0009-0007-9079-5132
Email: ja235787_at_ucf_dot_edu
Mentor:

2026 SSELM Mentor Participants

Agrawal, Devyansh

BIO: Devyansh is a PhD student in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at UC San Diego. He works in Professor Shengqiang Cai's lab, which focuses on the mechanics and chemistry of soft materials including both synthesized polymers and biological tissues.
ORCID:
Email: dagrawal_at_ucsd_dot_edu

Datta, Debika

Bio: Debika is a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Professor Jon Pokorski. Her current research focuses on fabricating biosynthetic materials by integrating genetically engineered cells into polymer composites. The aim is to develop materials that respond to stimuli encoded by genetic manipulation. Prior to joining the lab, she received her Doctoral degree from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, India. During her PhD research she developed biocompatible gelators from short self-assembling peptides for applications in drug delivery and tissue engineering. In her spare time she enjoys photography, traveling, writing and painting.
ORCID: 0000-0001-7146-7095
Email: ddatta_at_ucsd_dot_edu

Halder, Moumita

Bio: Moumita is a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Nano Engineering at UC San Diego. She received her Ph.D. from the Department of Chemistry in 2023, under the supervision of Dr. Yashveer Singh at the Indian Institute of Technology Ropar, where she worked on the development of self-assembled peptide-based biomaterials for drug delivery, tissue regeneration and biocatalytic applications. Her research in the Jokerst Group focuses on developing colorimetric diagnostic agents for disease and validating them with human samples and animal models.
ORCID:
Email: mohalder_at_ucsd_dot_edu

Hild, Erica

Bio: Erica is a Nanoengineering PhD student at UC San Diego. Erica completed her undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Delaware. Her previous research experience focused on thermoresponsive polymers. She was a UC San Diego's MRSEC REU in 2021, where she worked on utilizing additive manufacturing for synthesizing cyanobacterial gels, under supervision of Professor Jon Pokorski.
ORCID: 0000-0002-7529-2824
Email: edhild_at_ucsd_dot_edu

Kirya, Paula

Bio: Paula is a master’s student at UC San Diego, studying Mechanical Engineering. She graduated from UCSD with a degree in Bioengineering in June 2023. Paula joined the Poulikakos Lab in August 2021 and has been working on studying and developing new ways to apply structural color in nature-inspired colorimetric metasurfaces to detect disease in biological tissue. During her undergraduate years, Paula delivered plenary talks at the Stanford Research Conference and Harvard’s National Collegiate Conference. Her master’s research is being funded by the Optica Amplify Scholarship, the Optica Women Scholarship, and the AAUW Selected Professions Fellowship. In her free time, Paula enjoys dancing, reading, and watching movies with her friends.
ORCID: 0000-0001-6642-8331
Email: pkirya_at_ucsd_dot_edu

McDowell, Sean

BIO: Sean is a master's student in UCSD's Dept. of Nanoengineering. His primary interest is implementing hands-on bioscience education and outreach activities. With the RIMSE program
Sean is excited to work with and learn more about materials science education and bio-derived nanomaterials.
ORCID: 0009-0008-9142-4808

Palomino, Luis

Bio: Luis is a NanoEngineering Ph.D. student in Prof. Pokorski's lab. He obtained his B.S. in Chemistry from the National University of San Marcos (UNMSM) in Lima, Peru in 2016 and worked as a research assistant and instructor at the University of Engineering and Technology (UTEC), Lima, Peru. At this prior post, Luis participated in funded collaborative projects with the University of Connecticut, Harvard University, and Cleveland Clinic developing metallic, polymeric, and carbon nanomaterials for their use in environmental remediation, drug delivery, and energy storage.
ORCID: 0000-0002-3992-3123
Email: lpalominomarcelo_at_ucsd_dot_edu

Qing, Jingting

BIO: Jingting is a graduate student in Professor Hongbo Zhao's lab.
ORCID: 0009-0007-0202-7126
Email: jiqing_at_ucsd_dot_edu

Tang, Lisa

BIO: Lisa is a Ph.D. student in the Chemical and Nano Engineering Department at UC San Diego. Before coming to UC San Diego, she earned her BS in Chemical Engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology in 2021. She is currently working in Professor Jinhye Bae's Lab where her research focuses in studying the mechanical properties of cyanobacteria-laden hydrogels for use in soft robotics.
ORCID: 0000-0001-5312-673X
Email: lstang_at_ucsd_dot_edu

Truong, Kelly

BIO: Kelly is an undergraduate at University of California, Riverside, majoring in Biology. She is returning as a mentor participants this year in RIMSE's SSELM and hopes to apply what she learns toward her goal of entering the biotechnology field. In her free time, she enjoys learning card tricks and reading.
ORCID: 0009-0006-9530-3013
Email:

Wnuk-Fink, Kathryn

BIO: Kathryn previously earned her B.S. in Biology and Chemistry from Gettysburg College and is currently pursuing her PhD in Organic Chemistry at UC San Diego. Her research in Dr. Michael Burkart's lab integrates organic synthesis, biology, and materials science to develop sustainable polymers from microalgae. Her work focuses on cultivating and utilizing microalgae as both a feedstock for biodegradable monomer/material synthesis and as a bioproduction platform for intracellular polymer granules.
ORCID: 0009-0003-2580-3539
Email: kwnukfink_at_ucsd_dot_edu