Marianne Alleyne is an assistant professor of entomology with an affiliation in the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering. She also holds an appointment at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology. Her research group, the Alleyne Bioinspiration Collaborative, or ABCLab, uses a variety of insects as inspiration for the novel design of materials and mechanical systems. To close the knowledge loop, her research then uses those materials and systems to study biology.

Education

• B.A., integrative biology, University of California, Berkeley, 1991

• M.S., entomology, University of California, Riverside, 1995

• Ph.D., entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2000

Teaching Interests:

• Insect Physiology

• Physiology

• Bioinspiration

• Bioinspired Design

The ABC Lab is broadly interested in what structures and systems in nature (specifically those found in arthropods) can help us more efficiently design novel technologies. We rely on fundamental scientific data to inform the bioinspired design process. Our focus is on multi-functionality of insect wings (cicadas, flies, dragonflies, beetles) and insect associated structures (leafhopper brochosomes). We also study the clicking mechanism of click beetles. The ABClab collaborates with various MechSE faculty, including Drs. Alison Dunn, Nenad Miljkovic and Aimy Wissa.