Mazi Jalaal

Experiments and theory in environmental fluid mechanics and biophysics, spanning algal and cyanobacterial blooms, aquatic plants under extreme conditions, and geophysical flows

Research Area

I combine laboratory (and sometimes field experiments) with mathematical modelling to understand the physics of living and environmental systems, with a focus on plants and photosynthetic freshwater and marine organisms. My group studies how algae and cyanobacteria form blooms, using fluid mechanics, soft matter physics, and biophysics to explain how microorganisms move, aggregate, and interact with the surrounding flow. A central theme is the physics of cyanobacterial blooms (how colonies regulate buoyancy and migrate through the water column) because understanding these mechanisms is key to predicting and mitigating blooms that increasingly threaten water quality under a warming climate.

I also work on the biophysics of plants and photosynthetic organisms under extreme conditions, such as intense light and elevated temperature, and on the mechanical properties of biological aggregates. At larger scales, I study geophysical flows, including systems with nonlinear properties (elasto-viscoplasticity) that govern transport phenomena like lava flows and volcanic eruptions. Across all of these, I aim to build physically grounded, quantitative models that connect small-scale mechanisms to environmental outcomes.

Project Interests

I would welcome students interested in co-developing projects in several directions. One is the physics of cyanobacterial blooms, in particular models of vertical migration and how colonies control their position in the water column. A related theme is the mechanical properties of cyanobacterial colonies and other marine aggregates, linking their microstructure to how they form and break apart. I am also keen to explore how plants and photosynthetic organisms respond to intense light and temperature. Finally, I would enjoy developing projects on geophysical flows with nonlinear properties, relevant to volcanic flows particularly volcanic eruptions. 

Our team is part of the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at the University of Cambridge: Research Group | Mazi Jalaal | UvA