The Lara Estroff Research Group

Making Bio-Inspiration Crystal Clear
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Estroff Research Group


The Estroff group is interested in bio-inspired materials synthesis. Biological organisms synthesize composites of inorganic minerals within organic matrices as part of their skeletal systems (Figure 1). As materials scientists, we can learn strategies from biology to create new materials (organic and inorganic) with altered morphologies and materials properties. We can also design in vitro systems to answer questions from biology. The work in the Estroff group aims to take both of these approaches.
Figure 1. Examples of biomineralization (from left to right): Gorgonian (Mg-rich calcite); Corallina algae (Mg-rich calcite); Brittle star (Mg-rich calcite).

Estroff Group Members

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Dr. Lara Estroff

Principal Investigator

Herbert Fisk Johnson Professor of Industrial Chemistry
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Christopher Petroff

Postdoctoral Researcher
cap339@cornell.edu
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Ying Xia

Kavli Institute at Cornell (KIC) Postdoctoral Fellow
yx744@cornell.edu
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Stephan Sutter

Ph.D. Candidate
ss2667@cornell.edu
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Kuan-Ting Liu

Ph.D. Candidate
kl633@cornell.edu
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Emily Hiralal

Ph.D. Candidate
eeh82@cornell.edu
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Brenda Javier-Boodhan

Ph.D. Student
bsj32@cornell.edu
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Aditya Kaipa

M.S. Student
ak2529@cornell.edu
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Kenadee Morrow

Undergraduate Researcher
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Ethan Seiz

Undergraduate Researcher
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Catherine Pak

Undergraduate Researcher
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Theona Hsu

Undergraduate Researcher
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Soren Peterson

Undergraduate Researcher

Group News

03/2026: Congratulations to Prof. Lara Estroff for being elected 2025 AAAS Fellow!

08/2024: Prof. Lara Estroff vice-chairs the 2024 Gordon Research Conference on Biomineralization, Colby-Sawyer College, NH

05/2024: Congratulations to Mahdi and Joyce for winning poster awards at the MSE Distinguished Awards Gala!

04/2023: Congratulations to Prof. Lara Estroff for being named the Herbert Fisk Johnson Professor of Industrial Chemistry

10/2022: Jennie's work is published in Science Advances and featured in Cornell Chronicle

10/2022: Daniel Bilezikian's undergraduate research featured in MSE Spotlight

08/2022: Congratulations to Prof. Lara Estroff for being selected the next vice chair of the Gordon Research Conference on Biomineralization in 2024

08/2022 Konrad Hedderick co-chairs Biomineralization Gordon Research Conference Seminar in Castelldefels, Spain