Computational materials researcher efforts at Penn State are enabled by strong interconnections between the Institute for Computational and Data Sciences (ICDS) and the Materials Research Institute (MRI). Experimentalists are working with theorists to improve existing systems and develop the next generation of materials to meet societal needs.
The Institutes of Energy and the Environment focus on developing innovative solutions to sustain a healthy, protected environment and provide abundant, clean, safe, and affordable energy. MRI partners with IEE on numerous interdisciplinary projects that explore new materials and their impactful applications for the built environment, energy, health, and more.
Truly dynamic cross-disciplinary exchange between the life and materials sciences is often facilitated through the use of shared instrumentation and facilities. This is certainly the case at Penn State, most notably when research incorporates the university’s cryogenic electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) facility. Joint ventures between Huck and MRI advance both life sciences and materials research capabilities, as each discipline serves to enrich the other.