Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering · Syracuse University

Mechanics of Morphing Structures, Interfaces, and Biological Systems

Prof. Teng Zhang · Syracuse University

We use mechanics to understand and design materials and structures, drawing on problems from biology, soft matter, and engineering.

Our research → Publications Join us

79 papers · 8,631 citations · h-index 29 Google Scholar →

Simulated water droplet held between the peaks of a magnetically switchable, multistable ribbon array on a substrate

Morphing structures A water droplet on a magnetically reconfigurable multistable ribbon array, simulated by coupling many-body dissipative particle dynamics with a lattice model of the ribbons. Device (2026) →

Research themes

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Flat pasta morphing into 3D shapes as it cooks in water

Morphing structures & reconfigurable systems

Programmable shape change through bistability, elastic instabilities, and magneto-mechanical actuation.

Simulation of an elastic rod wrapping around a liquid droplet

Interfaces & soft matter

Elasto-capillary coupling, adhesion, and hygro-mechanical interactions in soft and bio-hybrid systems.

Erodium-inspired seed carriers drilling into soil, compared with simulations

Biological systems & bioinspired mechanics

Mechanics models of living systems — somite formation, biofilm control — and bioinspired engineering design.

Across all three themes

Human–AI research in mechanics

We study how AI agents can take on more of the computational work in mechanics, while keeping the evidence, assumptions and verification visible to researchers.

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News

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Defense

Gabriel Alkuino successfully defends his PhD thesis. Congratulations, Dr. Alkuino!

Welcome

Guillaume Gilles Lostec joins the group as a postdoctoral researcher.

Paper

New paper in Science Advances: magnetic coupling turns random snapping into ordered sequences in soft metamaterials (H. Sun, G. Alkuino, et al.). Read the paper →

Paper

New paper in Nature Communications: a bionic robotic trunk with tensegrity-enabled, elephant-comparable stiffness variability for assisted daily living (J. Zhang et al.). Read the paper →

On the cover

Nature cover, February 2023: Autonomous self-burying seed carriers for aerial seeding
Nature · February 2023
Science Advances cover, May 2021: Morphing pasta and beyond
Science Advances · May 2021
Soft Matter cover, April 2021: Magttice: a lattice model for hard-magnetic soft materials
Soft Matter · April 2021
Soft Matter cover, May 2020: Geometry underlies the mechanical stiffening and softening of an indented floating film
Soft Matter · May 2020

Selected publications

All 79 papers →
2026
Magnetically reconfigurable multistable ribbon arrays for liquid manipulation
Z. Wang, G. Alkuino, S. Avis, Y. Li, T. Zhang et al.
Device
2025
A compliant metastructure design with reconfigurability up to six degrees of freedom
H. Yang, D. Patel, T. Johnson, T. Zhang†, L. Yao† et al.
Nature Communications
2025
Biofilm control by active topography with mucin coating
Z. Han, Y. Xu, H. Gu, T. Zhang, D. Ren
Advanced Functional Materials
2024
Physics-based discrete models for magneto-mechanical metamaterials
G. Alkuino and T. Zhang†
Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids
2023
Autonomous self-burying seed carriers for aerial seedingCover article
D. Luo, A. Maheshwari, T. Zhang†, L. Yao† et al.
Nature

People

Full roster →
Teng Zhang
Teng Zhang
Associate Professor (PI)
Yuying Zhang
Yuying Zhang
PhD student · MAE (5th year)
Guillaume Gilles Lostec
Guillaume Gilles Lostec
Postdoctoral researcher
Join us
PhD students and postdocs: see openings →