The Lara Estroff Research Group

Making Bio-Inspiration Crystal Clear

The Estroff group is interested in bio-inspired materials synthesis. Biological organisms synthesize composites of inorganic minerals within organic matrices as part of their skeletal systems (Figure 1). As materials scientists, we can learn strategies from biology to create new materials (organic and inorganic) with altered morphologies and materials properties. We can also design in vitro systems to answer questions from biology. The work in the Estroff group aims to take both of these approaches.

Recent Photos:


Apple Picking October 2022

Figure 1. Examples of biomineralization (from left to right): Gorgonian (Mg-rich calcite); Corallina algae (Mg-rich calcite); Brittle star (Mg-rich calcite).


Recent Awards

Congratulations to Jessica for winning the Best Senior Thesis Poster Award!

Congratulations to Christian for his senior thesis poster award

Congratulations to Ethan and Abby for their TA awards

Congratulations to Abby for placing SECOND in the CCMR Microscopy Image contest!

Senior Thesis 2013: Congratulations to Allison winning First Place for her senior thesis poster.

CCMR Microscopy Image Contest, Spring 2011: Congratulations to Amy for winning FIRST PLACE in the biological SEM category.

10th International Conference of the Chemistry and Biology of Mineralized Tissues, 2010:
Congratulations to Debra for winning the award for young investigator with the best poster of the session.

CCMR Microscopy Image Contest, Spring 2010: Congratulations to Zhi for winning FIRST PLACE in the optical image category. Please see more details from the link.

MRS Spring 2009 Best Poster: Congratulations to Ellen for winning a Best Poster Award at the MRS Spring 2009. Ellen's motto: "More pictures, less words"

Click here to see past awards

Group News

04/2023: Congratulations to Prof. Lara Estroff for being named the Herbert Fisk Johnson Professor of Industrial Chemistry

10/2022: Jennie's work is published in Science Advances and featured in Cornell Chronicle

10/2022: Daniel Bilezikian's undergraduate research featured in MSE Spotlight

08/2022: Congratulations to Prof. Lara Estroff for being elected the next vice chair of the Gordon Research Conference on Biomineralization in 2024!

08/2022: Konrad Hedderick co-chairs Biomineralization Gordon Research Conference Seminar in Castelldefels, Spain

05/2022: Congratulations to Jessica for winning the Best Senior Thesis Poster Award!

04/2022: Congratulations to Dana for successfully completing her B Exam!

04/2022: Radio piece about Estroff group's work featured on The Academic Minute

09/2021: Team led by Prof. Lara Estroff and Prof. John Marohn awarded $3 million grant for development of hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite solar cells. Featured in Cornell Chronicle

07/2021: Congratulations to Siddhartha, Sai, Derek, Hui, Wennie, and Xun for passing their M-Exams!

04/2021: Bill is featured in a MSE Senior Spotlight

03/2021: Netta and Jennie’s review of Multiple Pathways for Pathological Calcification in the Human Body is published in this special issue of Adv. Healthcare Materials in honor of George Whitesides

03/2021: Damian and Jonathan's work on an anisotropic gel networks physically shaping the growth of calcite crystals is featured in ACS

02/2021: Congratulations to Jennie for successfully completing her B Exam!

05/2019: Professor Estroff has been promoted to the position of Full Professor, effective July 1st, 2019. Congratulations, Lara!

12/2018: Estroff group and Professor Estroff are featured on the Cornell Research website.

02/2018: Dr. Estroff is awarded a Transformative Science grant from the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF) with Dr. Assaf Gal from the Weizmann Institute of Science.

03/2017: Estroff awarded major grant with Fischbach, Addadi, and Fratzl.

11/2016: Professor Estroff gives a featured talk honoring her PhD Advisor, Andrew Hamilton

05/2016: Congratulations to Alyssa, Jeremy, and Meredith on their graduation Congratulations to Abby and Alex on passing their A Exams

Congratulations to Fei on completing her B Exam!

Estroff Group work in the Chronicle

12/2015: Estroff Group Work Featured in Cornell Chronicle

07/2015: Professor Estroff chairs Gordon Research Conference on Crystal Growth and Assembly


Last Revised: 2021/09/09