Fischell Institute Intern: Kishore Krishnakumar

Kishore Krishnakumar, a sophomore studying electrical engineering at the University of Maryland, spent his summer in Fischell Institute Director William Bentley’s Biomolecular and Metabolic Engineering lab, working alongside bioengineering doctoral candidate Ben Wu.

As part of the Fischell Institute’s Summer Research Internship Program, Krishnakumar worked with Wu on two interconnected projects: automating parts of the Bentley Lab and investigating if patterns in cell growth under one set of conditions can carry over to other conditions, allowing a machine learning model to learn those patterns once and optimize experiments on its own.

“We don't have the answer yet, and that's what makes it worth chasing,” said Krishnakumar. “Once we find a measurable signal, the automation gives the machine learning model hands of its own, letting it run experiment after experiment over days and weeks with minimal supervision from us. This type of automation will allow researchers to put their time and energy toward bigger questions.”

Learning dozens of instruments, protocols and research techniques was a steep learning curve, he recalled, but one he found both rewarding and fulfilling. He hopes his work will continue to benefit the lab long after his internship ends.

“Working in Dr. Bentley's lab taught me that research isn't just heads-down at a workstation for hours on end,” he said. “Some of the best moments happen at tea time, when everyone gathers to chat, bounce ideas around and share what they're working on. That culture of sharing has helped reshape the way I look at research overall.”

Krishnakumar’s experience in the lab has shown him how powerful the combination of hardware, software and biology can be.

“Automating experiments and training models to find patterns that humans would miss are some of the things that excite me,” he noted. “Whether I'm making something more cost effective, improving reliability, or innovating a new type of machine, I know I want to be working on something that pushes the boundaries of what we know and can do. Being able to look back on something I've made and know that it helped people and improved their lives is time well spent to me.”

Krishnakumar's interest in STEM began with science fiction and conceptual science movies that led him to wonder how the technologies he saw on screen could become reality. Starting with Legos and household projects, he discovered how rewarding it was to turn simple ideas into something tangible. As his curiosity about building things grew, he became fascinated by electricity and its role in powering and controlling machines.

“[Electricity] was a force that could breathe life into machines, and being able to control that — to control how machines operate and the brains behind them — is what drove me to choose electrical engineering,” he said.

Outside of the lab, Krishnakumar stays active by playing tennis, basketball, and training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He is also a member of UMD’s electrical vehicle racing team, Terps Racing EV. In his free time, Krishnakumar enjoys playing guitar, working on personal projects, and taking his dog on hikes.

Published October 5, 2026