Biological material or Sustainable Metamaterial? II

Expressions of Interest Link

Who is this event for?

• PhD Students
• Researchers at all career stages
• Industry attendees interested in early stage discussions

This event is for researchers in academia and industry innovators interested in the interface between biological materials and metamaterials – including food science that uses applications at this interface for next generation food development.

Why should I attend?

Biological materials are Sustainable metamaterials. Or are they? Though both fields complement each other in insight and expertise, their perspectives and challenges can be radically different. This meeting will bring together diverse researchers working on biological materials with people developing sustainable metamaterials to understand where we share challenges and solutions, and where perspectives diverge.

Discussion topics will be the use of (de)cellularisation,  non-equilibria, living and responsive materials, mimicry and reproduction, bioharvesting and self-assembly/ fabrication. We’ll be developing the combined perspective that we started to compose at the first Bio/Meta meeting in 2025.

Researchers (academic and industry) in:

Biological / biogenic materials

Biomaterials & Sustainable metamaterials

Novel and complex structured food will discuss parallels and divergences and emerging topics for a perspective on UK bio / meta materials.

Key Speakers

1. Ahu Gumrah Parry (University of Manchester)
2. Aaron Lau (University of Strathclyde)
3. Biqiong Chen (University of Liverpool)
4. Isabella Guido (University of Surrey)
5. Viola Vogler-Neuling (Université de Fribourg)
6. Lorna Dougan (University of Leeds)
7. Hamed Yazdani Nezhad(University of Leeds)
8. Yoselin Benitez Alfonso (University of Leeds)
9. Diego Lopez Barreiro (UCL)

Key Sections

• Flash Talks
• Discussions on perspectives and directions of travel.

Metamaterials research aims to design new architectures for materials so that these new structures produce new or enhanced function. In sustainable metamaterials, that means using non-extractive renewable resources that don’t pollute. Through developing sustainable metamaterials, engineers are working from the bottom up to fundamentally rethink materials.

But wait! ‘Metamaterials’ in which combinations of intricately structured stuff produce function? ‘Sustainable’ materials that self-assemble, power and replicate themselves? Don’t biological materials fit the bill exactly? The world of natural materials is vast and untapped – in fact, researchers in biological materials are often found asking how and why these intricate, biodegradable, sustainably resourced complex composites do what they do. What part does each feature of their ‘design’ – or rather, adaptation – play?

In this meeting, we will be discussing how these two perspectives on materials design are attempting to ask similar questions, and stretching towards similar goals. However, we also want to pull out the differences in opinion, the blindspots and the incompatibilities in the research fields.

We will invite a < 500 word written contributions from attendees ahead of the meeting about how your own material, challenge or study-system inspires your thinking about the crossover between ‘sustainable metamaterials’ and ‘biological materials’ – and their future, together or apart to contribute to a perspective article started at the last meeting.

Access Fund Travel and accommodation costs cannot be covered except in exceptional circumstances. If the cost of travel would prevent you attending, please contact info@metamaterials.network for information on how to apply to our access fund. All applications to the Access Fund must be made at least one week prior to the event.