Engineering complex fluids at Prato

26 July 2006 The Monash University Prato Centre has hosted an international workshop at which engineers and scientists discussed research advances involving the phenomenon of complex fluids. Dr Ravi Jagadeeshan of the Faculty of Engineering and Professor Eric Shaqfeh of Stanford University organised the International Workshop on the Mesoscale and Multiscale Description of Complex Fluids. Dr Jagadeeshan said complex fluids were pivotal to advances in many areas of engineering and science. "They form the basis of several new and revolutionary developments in the areas of bio- and nanotechnologies, and understanding their behaviour is crucial for future progress in these fields," he said.

Delegates to the International Workshop on the Mesoscale and Multiscale Description of Complex Fluids at the Monash University Prato Centre.

Complex fluids -- including granular materials, liquid crystals, colloidal suspensions, surfactant mixtures, polymeric liquids and biological matter -- are characterised by an intricate microstructure that significantly influences their material properties.

Dr Jagadeeshan said the event, held from 5 to 8 July, provided excellent networking opportunities for the 73 delegates from Europe, Asia and the US who are recognised as leaders in their field.

"We were able to compare observations, share insights and foster new collaborations. The proceedings of the meetings will be published as peer-reviewed articles in the Journal of Non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics," he said.

Dr Jagadeeshan said the location of the Prato centre and its amenities were greatly appreciated by all the attendees.

"Monash University Prato Centre is certainly important to the university's goal of fostering links with researchers and institutions in Europe and the US," he said.

For more detail about the conference, visit the Conference website.