Dr. Rebecca Taylor's Lab 

Dr. Rebecca Taylor

In May of 2016, Dr. Rebecca Taylor joined Carnegie Mellon University as a Mechanical Engineering faculty member and created the Taylor Microsystems and Mechanobiology Lab (MMBL). The MMBL focuses on developing mechanical systems that exhibit extreme mechanical properties including sensors and actuators. A number of graduate and undergraduate student researchers aid in a variety of studies in the MMBL.  

Charlotte "Charlie" Andreasen

Charlotte Andreasen, a current Mechanical Engineering and Enginnering & Public Policy (Exp. '21) undergraduate student is designing nanoscale shear stress sensors using DNA origami. In this video, Charlie reflects on how a teacher in middle school first encouraged her to move beyond memorization and use science to learn about "how the world works." Under Dr. Taylor's guidance, Charlie's research could one day be used to help create an early diagnostic tool for heart deformations and other cardiac health issues. 

Mechanical Engineering - DNA Lesson Plan

The focus of Dr. Taylor's current research is on the topic of DNA Origami. The accompanying lesson plan incorporates all of the above information with sections dedicated to DNA, its scale and structure, how DNA can be used in nanotechnology and Dr. Taylor's Lab research methods and efforts in this area. The lesson plan is designed to be adapted for middle through high school levels as a supplement to existing instruction.