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Research

At CBE and throughout Cornell, we’re renowned for producing an abundance of world-class research. Three factors converge to make it happen: people, facilities, and collaboration.  

  • People – Our faculty have everything it takes to be world-class researchers – they’re extremely knowledgeable, highly creative, exceptionally insightful, and not afraid to change directions or shake things up. They’re dedicated teachers and mentors, too, who are committed helping their students join them in the ranks of the best-of-the-best.
  • Facilities – While other top universities have some fine facilities, Cornell has a real powerhouse: more than 100 interdisciplinary research organizations, including four national research centers that bring even more of the world’s best minds to campus. Best of all, our particular collection of state-of-the-art research facilities is exactly what faculty and student researchers in CBE need – and they’re accessible.
  • Collaboration – Long before they became hot topics, collaboration and interdisciplinary work have been a way of life at Cornell. The university encourages it in many formal and informal ways. It doesn’t hurt that we’re a friendly place, too - genuinely friendly.

Research Topics

Biomolecular Engineering

Biomolecular Engineering

The advent of molecular biology, genomics, proteomics, and related technology has spawned a revolution in biology and offers numerous opportunities for new commercial developments.

Complex Fluids and Polymers

Complex Fluids and Polymers

Understanding the structure, rheology, interfacial and transport behaviors of complex fluids and polymers is among the foremost challenges of chemical engineering science.

Computational and Systems Biology

Computational and Systems Biology

Applications include identifying targets for pharmaceutical and therapeutic development for cancer and cardiovascular diseases, stem cell differentiation and programming, and modeling synthetic pathways.

Nanoscale Electronics, Photonics and Materials Processing

Nanoscale Electronics, Photonics and Materials Processing

Chemical engineers adopted an approach to problem solving, applying their specialized knowledge in chemistry, kinetics, transport phenomena, reactor design and thermodynamics.

Sustainable energy systems

Sustainable energy systems

Growth in world population and continual improvements in living standards in developing countries will increase demands for energy in the next 40 years, posing tremendous challenges for providing affordable energy.