How we are organized

In the composites research area, we are developing fundamental scientific understanding of biomolecular design, supramolecular engineering, and the methods needed for molecular genetics and biological production to create the next generation of strong, tough, and lightweight materials.

In the colloids research area, we are developing concepts for supracolloidal assemblies based on one-dimensional topochemically tailored nanocellulose colloidal rods and spherical colloids involving proteins, viruses, dendrimers, and nanoparticles, ultimately bridging the gap between the molecular level structures of supramolecular chemistry and macroscopic structures.

In the dynamics research area, we are exploring dynamic materials using two different approaches. In one, the focus is on a physical approach to achieve a fundamental understanding of “the onset of complexity” using simple model systems. In the other approach, we make use of molecular biology, where through synthetic biology we will use the programmability of genetic systems to achieve not only control of the structure of gene products but also their expression in time and position.

The research areas and sub-themes with their main investigators are presented in the graphic below.