2018 Bioinspired Materials: Bioinspired Multifunctional Dynamic Materials

Gordon Research Conferences, East Greenwich RI

Investigators

Abstract

This award provides support for the travel and conference registration fees of students and young investigators as participants in the 2018 Gordon Research Conference Bioinspired Materials, in Les Diablerets, Switzerland, June 24 - 29, 2018. The meeting will allow young investigators to network with establish researchers to discuss cutting edge research about new ideas and future concepts of how to harness or mimic designs and the methods used in nature to achieve them. The overarching goal of this research is to develop a fundamental understanding of the synthesis, directed self-assembly and hierarchical organization of natural occurring materials, and uses this understanding to design new synthetic materials whose structure, properties and function mimic those of natural materials or living matter. This Gordon Conference will bring together researchers in biomedical engineering, materials science, synthetic biology, genetics, and clinical medicine to discuss the cutting edge of research in the area of new bioinspired artificial materials that are exquisitely developed for high functionality in specific applications. This is a cross-disciplinary conference, designed to build bridges between fields to advance science and engineering in this area. In particular, the conference will focus on fundamental understanding of how particular materials should be designed to be "symbiotic" with biological entities and how to get similarity in functioning of biomaterials with their living counterparts. The conference will include a broad range of researchers, from graduate students and post-doctoral trainees to world leaders in this area, to disseminate the latest advances and develop connections to advance this key field of research moving forward. Award funds will be used to support students and trainees so that they can present their research and develop the research network necessary to advance both science and their careers. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.