Minglin Ma

Minglin Ma is a Professor in the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University. He holds a BS from Tsinghua University (2003) and a PhD from MIT (2008), with postdoctoral training at MIT's Koch Institute. His research focuses on developing biomaterials for biomedical and agricultural applications, particularly cell replacement therapies for diabetes and pollinator health preservation. He leads the Ma Lab, which innovates encapsulation systems for islet transplantation and designs bioinspired materials to mitigate pesticide effects on bees.

Education:

• BS in Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University (2003)
• MS (2007) and PhD (2008) in Chemical Engineering, MIT

Research interests span:

• Biomaterials for diabetes therapies (e.g., oxygenated encapsulation devices)
• Pollinator health via enzymatic detoxification microparticles
• Anti-fibrotic alginate modifications
• Stem cell differentiation for tissue repair

Recent innovations include atmosphere-breathing encapsulation systems and hydrogel-based solutions for pesticide mitigation. He teaches courses on biomaterials design and analysis, emphasizing molecular-level material behavior for medical and agricultural applications.

Notable grants include USDA-funded projects addressing NY agriculture and environmental challenges. His work has been featured in news for breakthroughs like bee antidote microparticles and diabetes device advancements.