Shreyas Mandre

Shreyas Mandre and Madhu Venkadesan are co-investigators on a project funded by the Human Frontier Science Program to study the biomechanical function and evolution of the human foot. As part of this project, we are working on problems ranging from measurement of elasticity of the foot from human subject experiments to understanding the limits of foot function by extending MV’s work on optimal control to spatially extended elastic bodies such as the foot. Shreyas Mandre also has overlapping research interests with Madan Rao. Following Shreyas' recent work on the near field capillary attraction between objects of different shapes floating on a fluid surface, Madan has been iscussing how local deformations of the fluid membrane can induce attraction between two proteins or protein aggregates of different shapes. Madan Rao's group has been working on phase segregation and dynamics of clustering of molecules induced by active stresses and currents. One way to approach this problem is via boundary layer theory. They have been discussing many aspects of this problem with Shreyas Mandre. Madan and Shreyas share a common interest in the mechanics of solids and fluids at low Reynolds numbers, and its fascinating applications to problems of biological interest. As a result of Prof. Mandre's visit to NCBS, we have submitted two conference abstracts, and are in the process of working on at least two collaborative journal articles.