The aim of this research group is to establish basic connections between the biochemical components of natural materials, their hierarchical organization and the resulting material properties. This requires a specific focus on the interactions that occur at the molecular level between different components. Ideally, the extracted biochemical principles will be transferred to engineering applications and will inspire materials with enhanced function that can be manufactured under economical and sustainable conditions.

Byssal threads are load-bearing biopolymeric fibers secreted by mussels that depend on specific biochemical adaptations and novel cross-linking strategies to create a tough and extensible fiber capable of self repair.

Of special interest to our group are the design principles underlying natural materials that perform sophisticated mechanical functions in the absence of cellular metabolism. Being non-living, the properties of these materials are intrinsic to their structure and biochemical composition. Here are two examples representing dynamic responses of materials to the demands of their environment:

1. Self-repairing materials: While typically regarded as a cellular process, there are several examples of integrated self-repair mechanisms in non-living biological structures including mussel byssal threads or whelk egg cases. We probe the protein level mechanisms of biological self-repair with various techniques.
2. Complex actuated movements: Generally, dead organisms do not move. However, complex actuated movements can occur in certain specially constructed non-living tissues in the absence of metabolism. We are interested in understanding the control of this phenomenon on the nanoscale.