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I am a biophysicist and bioengineer working at Princeton University as an Omenn-Darling Postdoctoral Fellow. My research lies at the intersection of physics, engineering, and biology, where I integrate quantitative experimentation with theory to address fundamental questions about the governing principles of living systems. I focus on emergent transport phenomena and intelligent motion in living systems at molecular and cellular scales, from self-organized phase transitions in cytoskeletal architectures to cellular navigation in complex chemotactic and geometric landscapes. By uncovering principles of life shaped by evolution, I aim to design new materials and tools with broad applications in engineering and the life sciences. I previously trained in biophysics at Cornell University and in applied physics and electrical engineering in my hometown of Tehran, Iran.
In search for novel phases of cytoskeletal matter
I harness emergent collective self-organization in microtubule networks to discover novel phases of cytoskeletal matter. Just as superconductivity and superfluidity are exotic phases of nonliving materials, I investigate whether similar principles can be used to guide self-organized phase transitions of microtubule networks and build molecular architectures with exceptional functional properties.
By integrating experimental approaches such as cell-free systems, protein engineering, advanced microscopy and nanofabrication, I seek to uncover the physical rules governing these self-organized phase transitions and engineer cytoskeletal matter to explore the fundamental complexity of life, reveal bio-inspired physics, and create new biomimetic functionalities.
401 Schultz LaboratoryDepartment of Molecular BiologyPrinceton University Princeton, NJ 08544Email: mzaferani@princeton.eduPhone: (609)258-3001
It is the tension between creativity and skepticism that has produced the stunning and unexpected findings of science.
(Carl Sagan)
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