News & Events

As 2024 comes to a close, I want to take a moment to celebrate the accomplishments of the Agui-Lab. Together, we reached significant milestones and continued to push the boundaries of innovation and collaboration.

Highlights of 2024

ATP-Bio Participation

• Completed our 4th year with the Engineering Research Center (ERC) for Advanced Technologies for the Preservation of Biological Systems (ATP-Bio).
• Successfully hosted the ATP-Bio Annual Meeting at Texas A&M University, fostering expanded collaborations through research partnership sessions that initiated new potential partnerships and broader convergent research initiatives.
• Welcomed 25 guests from Texas A&M University and representatives from over 35 institutions.
• Advanced collaborative work on Laser Nanorewarming between TAMU and UMN.
• Hosted and supported the research of 3 visiting students.

Agui-Lab Major Accomplishments

• Welcomed 4 new post-docs and undergraduate students to the lab.
• Represented the lab at several prestigious conferences, including:
  • ASME 2024 Heat Transfer Summer Conference (SHTC), July 15–17, 2024, Anaheim, CA, where Balaji Baskar won the Best Presentation Award for his work on laser-induced surface structures.
  • CRYO 2024, July 15–17, 2024, hosted at The Bethesdan Hotel in Bethesda, Maryland, near Washington D.C., where Crysthal Alvarez presented her groundbreaking research on temperature analysis during cryopreservation processes using digital holography interferometry.
  • OPL Conference, Valencia, Spain (Nov 26, 2024), where Dr. Aguilar delivered a Plenary Keynote on Optics, Photonics, and Lasers, followed by a seminar at ICFO in Barcelona, Spain (Nov 29, 2024).
  • Defense TechConnect 2024 Expo, Austin, TX (Dec 3–5, 2024), where Atiqul presented a poster on “Enhanced durability of refractory high-entropy alloys via laser-induced periodic surface structures”.
  • HSRU 2024 Research Conference, UTSA, San Antonio, TX (June 5–7, 2024), where Dr. Aguilar shared his STEM journey as a keynote speaker.
• Crysthal Alvarez Honored with the 2024 J. Mike Walker ’66 Impact Award:

• Recognized for her leadership, academic excellence, and groundbreaking research in cryopreservation using digital holography interferometry.
• Additionally, Crysthal achieved 2nd place in the ATP-Bio Y4 Poster Competition for her poster “Digital Holography: An Optical Tool for In-Situ Temperature Measurements in Cryopreservation”.

• Balaji Baskar Elected as Communications Lead:

• Balaji was elected as the Scholar Leadership Council (SLC) Communications Lead for Year 5, where he is fostering visibility and enhancing connections within the scholarly community.

Notable Publications and Studies

1. “Wettability tuning on stainless steel LIPSS by laser oxidation and its implication on cavitation bubble dynamics“
   • Authors: C. Berrospe-Rodriguez, B. Baskar, J. Williams, G. Aguilar.
   • Published in Applied Surface Science on August 3, 2024.
2. “An isochoric optical platform for interrogation of aqueous glass formation processes“
   • Authors: S. Kavian, R. Sellers, C. Berrospe-Rodriguez, C. Alvarez, F. D. Velasco, H. B. Smith, G. Aguilar, M. J. Powell-Palm.
   • Published in RSC Advances on October 29, 2024.
3. “Enhanced mitigation of cavitation erosion by means of femtosecond pulsed laser-induced hierarchical surface structures“
   • Authors: L. F. Devia-Cruz, J. C. Gonzalez-Parra, N. Cuando-Espitia, V. Robles, G. Aguilar, S. Camacho-Lopez

Published in Surface and Coatings Technology, April 15, 2024.

We are excited to share that Balaji Baskar has been honored with the Best Presentation Award for the K9-08 Session at the ASME 2024 Heat Transfer Summer Conference (SHTC) in Anaheim, CA.

His award-winning presentation, titled “Laser-Induced Periodic Surface Nanostructures for Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy,” showcased the benefits of using femtosecond laser-induced periodic surface structures. This approach offers a cost-effective alternative to traditional multi-step clean room processed nano substrates used in SERS sensing applications.

SERS sensors have significant applications across various fields, including the food industry, biotechnology, environmental monitoring, photocatalysis, and medical care. There is strong community interest in achieving femtomolar and attomolar level sensitivity. The hotspots in laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS)—such as nanogaps, nanoripples, and nanogrooves—can greatly enhance the electromagnetic field and Raman response. LIPSS on noble metals (Au, Ag, Cu) and semiconductors hold tremendous potential to serve as highly effective SERS substrates.

In addition, laser-based surface functionalization can significantly enhance wetting properties and alter cavitation bubble dynamics. Research conducted in AGUI-Lab evaluated the effects of laser-engraved microstructures, nanostructures, and hierarchical structures on cavitation erosion, yielding promising results. Future work involving simulations will further validate and enhance these experimental findings

• Congratulations to Balaji Baskar for passing the fall 2023 Ph.D. Qualifying exam, October 2023
• Welcome our new Ph.D. student Atiqul Islam Ahad from Bangladesh, August 2023
• Congratulations to Crysthal Alvarez for receiving the Continuing Student Fellowship from J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University, June 2023
• Congratulations to Balaji Baskar for receiving the Graduate Summer Research Grant from J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University, May 2023

Reflecting on the Achievements of 2024

As 2024 comes to a close, I want to take a moment to celebrate the accomplishments of the Agui-Lab. Together, we reached significant milestones and continued to push the boundaries of innovation and collaboration. Read more…