Experts on bioinspired materials

Bioinspired materials are materials that are designed to mimic the structures and properties of natural materials found in living organisms. These materials are often created using techniques from fields such as chemistry, biology, and materials science.



Bioinspired materials can be used to create lightweight, strong, and durable materials that can mimic the properties of natural materials like wood, bone, and shells. Some examples include:



Spider silk, which is five times stronger than steel by weight, is being used to create strong, lightweight fibers for use in clothing and other applications.



Gecko-inspired adhesives, which use van der Waals forces to create a strong, reversible bond, are being developed for use in robotics and other applications.



Biomimetic ceramics, which mimic the structure of natural materials like bone and teeth, are being used in medicine to create implantable materials that can be used in bone replacement and repair.



Biomimetic hydrogels, which mimic the structure of natural hydrogels like cartilage, are being used in tissue engineering to create materials for use in regenerative medicine.



WPI experts are available to discuss how bioinspired materials have the potential to revolutionize the way we create and use materials in various industries, from aerospace to healthcare.

Arne Gericke
  • Interim Dean of Undergraduate Studies Undergraduate Studies
Professor Gericke is a biophysical chemist studying lipid mediated protein functions using calorimetric, spectroscopic, and advanced microscopic techniques. An area of particular interest is phosphoinositide mediated signaling. ... View Profile
Cagdas Onal
  • Associate Professor Robotics Engineering
Professor Onal conducts research in soft robotics, a largely underexplored area of robotics that has significance in medicine, manufacturing, and disaster response. ... View Profile
George D Pins
  • Professor Biomedical Engineering
Professor Pins has more than 25 years of expertise in the design, development, and evaluation of implantable biomaterials, and the fabrication of biomimetic scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. ... View Profile
Nima Rahbar
  • White Family Distinguished Professor & Department Head Civil, Environmental, & Architectural Engineering
Professor Rahbar studies the fundamental principles that control the behavior of materials in engineering and biology at multiple scales particularly the bioinspired design of materials and structures. ... View Profile
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Haichong Zhang
  • Associate Professor Robotics Engineering
Professor Zhang is the founding director of the Medical Frontier Ultrasound Imaging and Robotic Instrumentation (Medical FUSION) Laboratory. ... View Profile