Materials that alter their viscoleastic properties as a function of applied mechanical load are extremely useful for a range of applications, not least the development of medical materials or for biofabrication applications. Mostly, we see shear-thinning materials extensively employed for 3D printing, while shear-thickening materials are used for used for impact resistant mateirals. However, materials that exploit both properties have great potential for medical material development. A material with both properties could be tuned to display shear-thinning for 3D printing but would also have a strong response to high mechanical loads or impact. 

Materials with dual shear-responsive behaviours are one of the research focusses of this group. We are investigating the shear-responsive behaviours of bio-based polymer networks functionalised with mechanoresponsive protein complexes and tailoring their response to shear, by altering the nature of the biopolymer scaffold, and the functional density of proteins immobilised in the network. We recently made progress towards wood fibre-based impact resistant materials supported by a SAMCE EXCHANGE grant in collaboration with the Institute for Building Materials at the ETH Zurich.

Team Members:

Zarah Walsh-Korb, Jonas Waidele (MSc intern), Selina Eng (MSc intern, alumna)

Collaboration Partners:

ETH Zurich

Funding:

Horizon 2020 MSCA Career Restart Fellowship, SAMCE EXCHANGE