Cullen Buie is an associate professor in MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and director of the Laboratory for Energy and Microsystems Innovation. His laboratory explores flow physics at the microscale for applications in materials science and applied biosciences. His research is applicable to a diverse range of problems, from anti-biofouling surfaces and biofuels to energy storage and bacterial infections.
In 2017 Kytopen, a start-up Buie co-founded that offers a method of genetic engineering 10,000 times faster than current methods, was among the first start-ups to be backed by The Engine, a start-up ecosystem launched by MIT. Buie was honored with the NSF Career Award in 2012, the DuPont Young Professor Award in 2013, the DARPA Young Faculty Award in 2013, and the NSF Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers in 2016.
Buie received his BS from The Ohio State University. He earned his master’s and PhD in mechanical engineering at Stanford University and served as a postdoctoral fellow for one year at the University of California-Berkeley.