FAMU-FSU College of Engineering Associate Professor of Chemical & Biomedical Engineering Jamel Ali, Ph.D., poses in his lab in the Interdisciplinary Research and Commercialization Building (IRCB) in Tallahassee, Florida. Professor Ali received an Army Research Office (ARO) grant. (Scott Holstein/FAMU-FSU College of Engineering)
Key Points
Jamel Ali, an associate professor of chemical and biomedical engineering at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, has received a three-year, $360,000 grant from the Army Research Office to develop microbe-based sensors and robotic systems.
The award, funded through the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory (DEVCOM ARL), will support research into self-assembling, magnetically propelled biohybrid systems for defense applications.
Ali leads the Nanobio Materials and Robotics Group, with labs at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory and the Interdisciplinary Research and Commercialization Building in Tallahassee, Florida.
The grant follows a related milestone for the lab: Ali’s doctoral student, Isabela Perdomo, recently won the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship, a first in Florida A&M University and HBCU history.
Biomedical engineers hope to combine magnetic fields and microbes to create a new kind of sensor that could deliver new capacities in medicine and beyond
Florida A&M University engineering professor Jamel Ali studies how living materials can be engineered to sense, move and respond—work that made him a natural fit for a defense agency looking to solve sensor problems biology has already solved. An associate professor of chemical and biomedical engineering at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and a researcher at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL), Ali built his lab, the Nanobio Materials and Robotics Group, around functional biomaterials and nanorobotics.
That focus has already paid off once this year. Ali’s doctoral student, Isabela Perdomo, won the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship for microrobotics research conducted in his lab—the first such honor in Florida A&M University and HBCU history. The Army grant extends that same line of research, funding Ali to move from lab-scale demonstrations toward sensors built to function in real defense environments.
What Are They Building with This Grant?
The Army Research Office has awarded Ali a grant to investigate the use of microbes in developing micro- and nanoscale biohybrid systems that can be propelled by magnetic fields. These tiny bioinspired machines swim through fluids magnetically, potentially transforming medicine by delivering drugs to targeted sites, detecting harmful agents, or serving other purposes.
Biohybrid microrobots combine living biological components, such as bacteria or cells, with synthetic materials to create small-scale systems capable of movement, sensing or targeted delivery. This research area has drawn growing interest across biomedical and defense fields in recent years.
The grant comes from the Army Research Office, part of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory (DEVCOM ARL). It will fund Ali’s project on biologically derived, self-assembling microscopic sensors and actuators designed to detect threats and operate in complex environments for defense applications. The three-year grant totals $360,000.
How Do You Turn a Microbe into a Sensor?
At the joint college, Ali leads research in biologically inspired micro- and nanoscale robotics, with a focus on small-scale targeted transport, biological sensing and actuation. His laboratory specializes in colloidal self-assembly and 3D bioprinting technologies, developing approaches for producing nanostructured functional biomaterials.
“We are filling needs in several areas, including advanced biomanufacturing. Broadly, our work aims to harness living systems to produce critical capabilities and substances at scale, enhancing resilience.”
Why Does the Army Want Microbe-Based Technology?
According to Ali, by using robust, self-assembling parts from microorganisms, the Army could develop new sensors and actuators that work reliably in the harshest environments, improving warfighter capabilities.
“I am fortunate to work with a talented research group of postdocs, doctoral students and undergraduates engaging them with Department of War research and labs,” Ali said. “The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory provides the opportunity to do unique research of national importance and I am extremely happy to be part of the DoW mission.”
Editor’s Notes: “Department of War” is a secondary title for the U.S. Department of Defense, authorized under a September 2025 executive order. This article was edited with a custom prompt for Claude Sonnet 5, an AI assistant created by Anthropic. The AI optimized the article for SEO/GEO discoverability, improved clarity, structure and readability while preserving the original reporting and factual content. All information and viewpoints remain those of the author and publication. This article was edited and fact-checked by college staff before being published. This disclosure is part of our commitment to transparency in our editorial process. Last edited: 8/20/2026.
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FAQ
It is a three-year, $360,000 grant from the Army Research Office, a division of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory (DEVCOM ARL). It funds research into biologically derived, self-assembling microscopic sensors and actuators for defense applications.
Jamel Ali, Ph.D., is an associate professor of chemical and biomedical engineering at Florida A&M University, the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and a researcher at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory. He leads the Nanobio Materials and Robotics Group, which studies functional biomaterials and nanorobotics.
Biohybrid microrobots are microscopic systems that combine living biological components, such as bacteria or cells, with synthetic materials. They are designed to move, sense or deliver payloads at very small scales, often guided by external forces such as magnetic fields.
The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, located in Tallahassee, Florida, houses one of Jamel Ali’s research labs. It provides the magnetic-field infrastructure for studying and controlling microscale and nanoscale robotic systems.
According to Ali, self-assembling components derived from microorganisms could produce sensors and actuators that function reliably in harsh environments, which could improve capabilities for military personnel operating in the field.
Isabela Perdomo, a doctoral student in Ali’s lab, won the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship for her contributions to this work. The honor is reported to be the first of its kind in the history of Florida A&M University and HBCUs.