Living Matter and Microfluidics Group

Welcome to the Living Matter and Microfluidics Research Group, led by Praneet Prakash, an Assistant Professor at the Kotak School of Sustainability, IIT Kanpur, exploring the physics of living and active matter in the context of sustainability and the environment.

Before joining IIT Kanpur, I was a Postdoctoral Researcher in the group of Prof. Ray Goldstein at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (DAMTP), University of Cambridge. I received my M.Tech. and Ph.D. from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and was a Newton-Bhabha Researcher at the Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge. My undergraduate education is in Physics from the Department of Atomic Energy, Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences, Mumbai. 

Our group studies microscopic living matter including algae, bacteria, plankton, and bioinspired active matter that continuously consume energy to move, interact, and self-organize. We employ advanced imaging, microfluidics engineering, and data-driven modeling to uncover the principles underlying these active systems. A central goal is to design adaptive, sustainable matter and develop microfluidic solutions for challenges such as climate change, global warming, and emerging water pollutants like microplastics.

Research in our lab will contribute to the following UN Sustainable  Development Goals.