Bio-inspired Design: Towards Functional Materials

Speaker:

LaShanda Korley
University of Delaware

Abstract:

Materials that are found in Nature display a wide range of properties, including responsiveness to the environment, signal transmission, and the ability to adapt to support life. Learning from Nature or bio- mimicry can be a powerful tool in designing, developing, and accessing the next generation of synthetic materials and systems. Using the bio-inspired framework, I will highlight several molecular design strategies utilizing cues from natural systems to generate gradient architectures, shape-memory materials, and fibrous gels.