Education

• Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology, 2004
• M.S., Georgia Institute of Technology, 2002
• B.S., Duke University, 1995

Research

• Heat Transfer, Combustion and Energy Systems and Bioengineering: Live cell chemical imaging, scanning probe microscopy, mass spectrometry, and bioanalytical devices.

Peter Kottke's areas of expertise include theoretical development and modeling of complex transport phenomena and bioanalytical devices. His earliest research consisted of investigations of fundamental fluid physics and energy and mass transport. More recently he has derived theoretical models relevant to the development of a combined atomic force microscope AFM) - scanning electrochemical microscope (SECM) to image adenosine triphosphate (ATP) release from epithelial cells. The research integrates knowledge of cell biology, analytical chemistry, physical chemistry, and electrochemistry, in addition to the mechanical engineering fields of mass transfer and fluid mechanics.

Current research continues the modeling of interactions of the AFM-SECM probe with cell signaling events, and includes the development of a new scanning probe for chemical imaging. The new technology, a scanning mass spectrometry (SMS) probe, exploits a novel electrospray ion source and mass spectrometer interface that can be integrated with an atomic force microscope tip to enable spatially resolved, simultaneous biochemical and topographic imaging of cells and tissues in situ. Peter's long-term research goal is to realize the possibility of highly resolved chemical imaging (both temporally and spatially) of living cells, through the improved application of current scanning probe technologies, and through the introduction of original technologies such as the SMS probe.