Meet our 3MT Finalists: Saloni Purandare

Saloni Purandare is a first-year doctoral student in Apparel, Merchandising and Design. Her 3MT presentation is titled "3D Printed Shark Skin Bio-mimicked Fabric." Learn more about Saloni below.

Q: What brought you to Iowa State?

Purandare

A: The strong repute of my department and of the university towards research innovation.

Q: Describe your research in three sentences or less.

A: My master's thesis focused on 3D printing fabric texture that replicated shark skin. Addressing the found research gap, I analyzed the mechanical and antimicrobial properties of the replicated texture for functional textile purposes. This research can thus lay foundation for exploring the nontoxic antimicrobial applications of shark skin biomimicry.

Q: What do you hope to gain from Three Minute Thesis?

A: I hope to be able to share my work with others and maybe inspire someone! At the same time, I hope to gain the ability to present my research while getting inspired by other phenomenal research works during this process.

Q: Share a fun fact about yourself.

A: I love swimming and deep sea diving. I have always been fascinated by aquatic life. Maybe that's how I was drawn towards researching shark skin biomimicry!

Founded at the University of Queensland, Three Minute Thesis (3MT) challenges graduate students to present their research to a non-specialist audience in three minutes or less. This year, Iowa State's 3MT competition is entirely virtual. Get to know our seven outstanding finalists before we announce the winner, runner-up, and People's Choice Award recipient on January 25. Watch the full competition and vote for the People's Choice Award recipient.