Materials Science and Engineering

Capillary Interactions Drive Actin Bundling by Protein Condensates

Cells rely on networks of biopolymers (like Actin filament) that are organized by special proteins to carry out functions such as changing shape, moving, or transporting cargo. RSC Publishing+1 A newer idea is that protein “condensates” (liquid-like droplets of proteins) can join in this organization. MSE professors, Dr. Kim Weirich, Dr. Konstantin Kornev, and their […]

Bio-Inspired Engineering: The Butterfly Proboscis as a Model for Hydraulic Micro Devices

Butterflies and moths are admired for their colorful wings, but it’s their feeding tube — the proboscis — that’s catching engineers’ attention. A 2025 study involving MSE Professor Dr. Kostya Kornev and his research team revealed that this delicate structure acts like a miniature hydraulic spring, offering inspiration for advanced micro-scale technologies. The proboscis is […]

Clemson Materials Advantage Chapter Strengthens Leadership and Networks at MS&T 2025

The officers of the Clemson Materials Advantage chapter had the incredible opportunity to attend the Materials Science & Technology (MS&T) 2025 Conference in Columbus, Ohio, alongside students and professionals from across the nation. During the conference, the officers participated in student-focused symposia featuring the poster competition, as well as the always exciting ceramic mug drop […]

A cool combo of magnetism + glow

Scientists from Clemson University Materials Science & Engineering and several international collaborators — Md. Shamiull Alim Munna, Md. Mazharul Islam, Mohammad Ahasanur Rabbi, O. Thompson Mefford (MSE), Alexander Malaj (Mefford Group), Md. Shahidul Islam, Hasan Ahmad, and Md. Mahbubor Rahman — recently published a study in RSC Advances that combines magnetism and fluorescence into a […]

Clemson Researchers Explore How Atoms Behave at the Edges of Metal Crystals

A new study co-authored by Y. Wang, Jacob Jeffries, Dr. Enrique Martinez Saez, S. Mathaudhu, E. Marqui and Fadi Abdeljawad and published in the Journal of Materials Science explores how atoms arrange themselves at the tiny boundaries between crystals in advanced metal alloys. These boundaries—called grain boundaries—play a major role in determining a material’s strength, […]

Clemson MSE Students Take Leadership Roles in the American Ceramic Society

Two of our outstanding Ph.D. candidates in Materials Science and Engineering, Nakeshma Cassel (Brinkman Group) and Deeksha Kodangal (Bordia Group), are proudly serving as delegates on the President’s Council for Student Affairs (PCSA) — a student-led organization within the American Ceramic Society (ACerS). The PCSA’s mission is to empower students to become active, engaged, and […]

Clemson Grad Students Shine at 2025 MS&T Conference

Congratulations to Oriyomi Opetubo (Aidhy Group) and Deeksha Kodangal (Bordia Group) for winning the Graduate Excellence in Materials Science (GEMS) awards at the 2025 Materials Science & Technology (MS&T) conference! The Basic Science Division organizes the annual GEMS awards to honor exceptional graduate students who demonstrate outstanding research achievements in Materials Science and Engineering. The […]

Building Bridges: MSE Hosts Mini Career Fair

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) recently hosted a mini-career fair that brought together 35 undergraduate and graduate students with industry leaders and alumni. The event provided a unique opportunity for students to gain firsthand insight into the professional world of MSE. Industry representatives and alumni shared valuable advice on resumes, interviewing, co-ops, […]

Unlocking Hidden Defects in Complex Oxides

Imagine a material made by mixing five different metal elements equally—magnesium, copper, nickel, cobalt, and zinc. Because of this mix, each oxygen atom in the material “sees” a different neighborhood of metal atoms around it. This complex mixture is called a high entropy oxide (HEO). Now, oxygen atoms can sometimes leave their spots and create […]

Measuring Tiny Fibers with Magnetism

Scientists are always looking for new ways to measure materials, especially when they are very small. In their 2025 paper, “Using magnetic torque for characterization of flexural rigidity of microfibers,” Dr. Artis Brasovs and Dr. Konstantin G. Kornev describe a clever new method for testing the stiffness of microfibers. Flexural rigidity is how much a […]