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327-1221-00L 4 Credits BSC , MSC D-HEST , D-MATL
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Biological and Bio-Inspired Materials

Lecturers & Examiners: Prof. Dr. André R. Studart, Prof. Dr. Ingo Burgert, Dr. Rafael Nicolosi Libanori, Dr. Guido Panzarasa
Students that already enroled in this course during their Bachelor's degree studies are not allowed to enrol again in their Master's.
VVZ CR n/a

Last Updated: 2026-02-05 15:36:27

Abstract

The aim of this course is to impart knowledge on the underlying principles governing the design of biological materials and on strategies to fabricate synthetic model systems whose structural organization resembles those of natural materials.

Objective

The course first offers a comprehensive introduction to evolutive aspects of materials design in nature and a general overview about the most common biopolymers and biominerals found in biological materials. Next, current approaches to fabricate bio-inspired materials are presented, followed by a detailed evaluation of their structure-property relationships with focus on mechanical, optical, surface and adaptive properties.

Content

This course is structured in 3 blocks: Block (I): Fundamentals of engineering in biological materials - Biological engineering principles - Basic building blocks found in biological materials Block (II): Replicating biological design principles in synthetic materials - Biological and bio-inspired materials: polymer-reinforced and ceramic-toughened composites - Lightweight biological and bio-inspired materials - Functional biological and bio-inspired materials: surfaces, self-healing and adaptive materials Block (III): Bio-inspired design and systems - Mechanical actuation - plant systems - Bio-inspiration in the built environment

Resources

Lecture Notes

Copies of the slides will be made available for download before each lecture.

Literature

The course is mainly based on the books listed below. Additional references will be provided during the lectures. 1. M. A. Meyers and P-Y. Chen; Biological Materials Science - Biological Materials, Bioinspired Materials and Biomaterials. (Cambridge University Press, 2014). 2. P. Fratzl, J. W. C. Dunlop and R. Weinkamer; Materials Design Inspired by Nature: Function Through Inner Architecture. (The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2013). 3. A. R. Studart, R. Libanori, R. M. Erb, Functional Gradients in Biological Composites in Bio- and Bioinspired Nanomaterials. (Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 2014), pp. 335-368.

Learning Materials (Links)

General Information

Language
English
Levels
BSC , MSC
Frequency
Yearly recurring

Examination

Type
end-of-semester examination
Mode
written 120 minutes
Aids
non-programmable calculator
All students need to participate in a compulsory project with group presentation and classroom activities during the semester, which will be graded according to the criteria communicated in the first lecture of the course. The final grade is composed of the grades of the written exam (60%), classroom activities (20%) and group presentation (20%).Written exam: 120 min, non-programmable calculator as an aid.

Course Components

Type Title Time & Place Hours
lecture with exercise Biological and Bio-Inspired Materials
  • Thu 16:00-19:00 (ON LI NE)
3 h weekly

Offered In