Ana C. Mendes has expertise on multidisciplinary research at the interface of chemistry, materials science and engineering, biology and micro/nanotechnologies. Her work relies on the combination of materials properties (e.g. biopolymers, biomolecules) with fabrication techniques (e.g. molecular self-assembly, micro-fluidics, soft lithography, electrospinning) to develop functionalized materials (capsules, fibers, membranes, hydrogels) for applications in food and bioengineering.