Using Nature’s Design Principles to Create Functional Artificial Materials

The emerging, interdisciplinary field of bioinspired materials involves developing a fundamental understanding of the structure, properties, and function of naturally occurring materials and using this knowledge to engineer artificial materials that mimic aspects of the living originals. Bio-inspired materials are relevant in various areas of science and technology, and the GRC Bio­in­spired Materials will bring together a diverse population of scientists and researchers to promote the cross-disciplinary fertilization of ideas between fields in which bio-inspired materials play a role. As reflected by the subtitle of the conference - From Self-Assembly to Function - the 2024 meeting will encompass aspects of bio-inspired research ranging from fundamental to application. The talks and discussion will cover a broad range of building blocks of bioinspired materials, the syn­the­sis of bioinspired materials made from or inspired by these building blocks, their self-assembly, their system-level integration to create functional devices, and the application of bio-inspired materials in different domains. The topical areas emphasized in the program include self-assembly; bio-inspired therapeutic materials; tissue-engineering and living materials; and complex materials and systems. The meeting will be preceded by a Gordon Research Seminar for graduate students and postdoctoral associates to present their work to each other before the conference.