Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

Assist. Prof. Andy Thawko

Research Field: The lab offers multiple projects in the field of reacting flows and thermofluids. Our research employs both experimental and numerical methodologies, focusing on various energy conversion processes using alternative fuels such as hydrogen, ammonia, biofuels, and others.

Required background: Thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, or CAD design. Engineering students from all energy-related disciplines, as well as physics, optics, and chemistry, are encouraged to apply.

Link: https://meeng.technion.ac.il/en/member/andy-thawko-2/

Assist. Prof. Nili Krausz

Research Field: The Neurobotics and Bionic Limbs (eNaBLe) Lab is a state-of-the-art research lab focused on developing better bionic limbs, exoskeletons, and rehabilitation robotics to improve quality of life for people with physical disabilities and following traumatic injury or amputation. Our lab integrates innovative mechanical design and control systems engineering with advanced techniques in robotics including machine learning, computer vision, and sensor fusion, along with insights from neuroscience and the study of human control of movement to develop better and more effective assistive technology. The project will focus on improving the design and control of a prosthetic hand.

Required Background: It is preferred that students have some knowledge of Solidworks or Python/Matlab, though not required

Link: https://enabletechnion.com/

Assoc. Prof.  Morel Groper

Research field: The TriboMechanics Lab serves as a state-of-the-art applied tribology facility leveraging interfacial science to enable optimized mechanical component design for enhanced reliability and performance. With an emphasis on providing engineering solutions to improve the capabilities of machine components, the lab focuses on various areas of tribology domains.  Uniting custom-fabricated tribometers and metrology instrumentation with mechanical/electronic workshop capabilities, this uniquely equipped lab facilitates enhanced performance of components such as propulsors, bearings and seals.
The project will focus on upgrading a reciprocal tribometer to model piston ring and cylinder operation.

Required background: We are seeking a motivated individual with a keen interest in solving real-world mechanical engineering challenges. The ideal candidate should be in their third year or later of studies in Mechanical Engineering. A solid foundation in both fluid mechanics and solid mechanics is essential.

Required Skills:

• Proficiency in SolidWorks, ANSYS, and MATLAB.
• A demonstrated passion for mechanical design.
• Preferred Qualifications:
• Previous coursework or knowledge in tribology.
• A strong interest in industrial applications and hands-on mechanical engineering projects.

Link: https://meeng.technion.ac.il/members/morel-groper-2/

Assist. Prof. Leeya Engel

Research field and Lab Description: We are a multidisciplinary lab in the Technion Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Our research focuses on two main themes:

1. Bio-MEMS. We design novel microsystems-based tools that spatially and chemically control the cell microenvironment for quantitative biology.
2. Cryo-EM of cells. We develop new technologies for molecular-scale imaging of cells with programmed cytoskeletal tension, traction stress distributions, and substrate topography.

Bio-MEMS. Using fabrication technologies originally developed for the integrated circuit industry, we can now work with a plethora of materials at the micro- and nano- scales. Incidentally, biological cells are on the order of micrometers (a millionth of a meter) and their sub-cellular constituents are on the order of nanometers (a billionth of a meter). Imagine the possibilities of designing and building custom cell microenvironments to investigate mechanical aspects of cellular function! Microfabricated microfluidic systems can further engineer the plumbing in the environment of cells cultured in tiny channels to allow for chemical control over the cell environment as well. In short, we extend Richard Feynman’s “There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom” concept to the culturing of biological cells.

Cryo-EM of cells. The ability of living cells to respond to mechanical cues from the microenvironment and other cells play vital roles in physiological processes such as embryonic development and cardiovascular function. Over the past decade, the field of mechanobiology has seen major advances catalyzed by increasingly powerful strategies to measure cell-generated forces and to identify mechanosensitive molecules and cellular components. However, we know comparatively little about the nanometer-scale organization of the mechanosensitive macromolecules and cellular components that underly the cell’s ability to generate and sense mechanical force. This is due principally to a lack of tools that can visualize cellular organization on the nanoscale. To fill this gap, Dr. Engel developed a technology during her postdoctoral studies to spatially control the cell microenvironment for cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) studies with the goal of elucidating the nanometer-scale underpinnings of mechanobiology. Our lab implements this technology together with traction force microscopy, and live-cell imaging to discover how physical cues are translated into the intracellular signals that control cell and tissue architecture. We aspire to contribute powerful new tools to mechanobiology and the burgeoning field of cellular cryo-EM. The subfield of cryo-EM we are interested in for imaging structures within the context of the cell is called cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET).

Required background: Interested students should be enrolled in a degree in physics, biology, chemistry, or engineering (chemical, mechanical, biotechnology, or biomedical)

Lab link: https://engel.net.technion.ac.il/