Horizon Europe (2021 - 2027)

Additive Manufacturing of Living Composite Materials: AM-IMATE

Last update: Mar 22, 2023 Last update: 22 Mar, 2023

Details

Locations: Netherlands
Start Date: Jul 1, 2023
End Date: Jun 30, 2028
Contract value: EUR 1,999,491
Sectors: Science & Innovation Science & Innovation
Categories: Grants
Date posted: Mar 22, 2023

Associated funding

Associated experts

Description

Programme(s): HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)

Topic(s): ERC-2022-COG - ERC CONSOLIDATOR GRANTS

Call for proposal: ERC-2022-COG

Funding Scheme: ERC - Support for frontier research (ERC)

Grant agreement ID: 101088968

Objective:

I envision a world in which the responsive power of biological systems is harnessed through direct integration in materials and structures. Biological materials constantly adapt to their environment, display lower embodied energy, and possess remarkable mechanical properties granted by their hierarchical structures. Adapting these principles to human-made objects promises to disrupt the way we engineer our highperformance critical structures. However, today’s engineering materials remain lifeless, and show only limited abilities to adapt and reinforce under load, or to heal and repair in response to damage. By addressing the lack of knowledge in (i) organism signalling, (ii) additive fabrication and (iii) responsive bio-inspired composites, I will be amongst the first to create living composites that will bridge the gap between biology and stiff, lightweight engineering structures. To achieve my vision of living structures, I will cross boundaries between three previously disconnected disciplines. I will (i) exploit the intrinsic electrical activity of fungal mycelium networks to couple electrical and mechanical response in mycelium composite materials, (ii) enable complex shaping using new additive manufacturing technologies to create bio-inspired living objects augmented with sensing and vasculature networks, and (iii) develop topology optimised geometries and largescale living structures that adapt and remodel during use. The project combines these aspects to exploit organism growth and function in a way never done before to realise stiff, tough, and responsive materials, while paving the way for a future of living material structures.

Want to unlock full information?
Member-only information. Become a member to access projects awards, find the right consortia partners, subcontractors and more.
Learn more about our membership benefits