We offer a broad range of research opportunities at Michigan that apply traditional chemical engineering principles and modern science to solve some of today's most pressing problems. For example, we are designing microfluidic devices to improve human health and provide renewable energy in remote locations. We are developing a better understanding of transport and reactions within and between cells so better drugs and better drug delivery vehicles can be designed.We are using novel experimental methods and advanced scientific computing to understand nanoparticles, macromolecules, complex fluids and active surfaces. Understanding their behavior allows us to design new catalysts, polymers, electrodes and other materials. We are working on catalysts for converting biomass to liquid fuels, electrocatalysts for fuel cells and conducting fibers for clothing.<br><br>Reducing the dimensions of flow channels, chemical reactors and separation units can offer advantages for many different chemical processes and analytical techniques. For example, Michigan chemical engineers are developing and using microfabricated devices to better understand the circulation of cancer cells, to do high-throughput synthesis, to put a chemical lab on a microchip and to design better ways to deliver drugs to targeted areas in the body.