John C. Crocker

Research

John C Crocker, Professor and Graduate Group Chair in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (CBE), works in soft matter and biophysics. His work explores mechanical measurements on very small objects, from colloidal particles and cells to single macromolecules. His research group uses biochemistry to construct novel, soft-matter experiments and materials to engineer useful biomedical devices. The Crocker lab uses DNA nanotechnology to direct the formation of unique colloidal crystals and confocal microscopy to understand their complex nucleation, growth and transformations. Their experimental efforts focus on using particle tracking and novel microrheology methods to understand the mechanics of the cell cytoskeleton and soft materials such as foams and complex fluid interfaces.

Crocker’s multidisciplinary research has made pioneering contributions to the fields of soft matter and biophysics, specifically the use of optical trapping and microrheology methods and the use of DNA for forming colloidal crystals. Open-source software tools he co-developed for particle tracking are in use by hundreds of research labs around the world. He was awarded a Packard Fellowship in 2002 and a ‘Brilliant 10’ award in 2005. His professional service has largely been to the Colloid and Surface Chemistry Division of the ACS and the Division of Soft Matter (DSOFT) at the APS, who named him a Fellow in 2018.

Areas of Focus: Soft Matter and Complex Fluids; Colloids; Cellular and Biomolecular Engineering; Molecular Simulation and Thermodynamics