Dr. Max Mylo

Projects

The mistletoe-host interface as model for long-term integrity by damage prevention and repair
In my current project, I am abstracting the knowledge gained about the functional mechanisms (superimposed gradients, redundant anchoring structures, etc.) for damage prevention of European mistletoe (Viscum album) and its connection to the host through FE simulations, with the aim of implementing them in multi-material systems with high longevity potential.

First supervisor

Prof. Dr. Chris Eberl

PhD Project

Abscission and self-repair in biological and artificial materials systems
In the framework of a biomimetic bottom-up approach my research aim is to conduct in-depth morphological, anatomical and biomechanical analyses of suitable role models in order to learn exemplarily from bonding, debonding and self-repair of biological materials systems.
Through interdisciplinary collaborations with project partners, we will be able to carry out modelling and simulations, design and manufacture technical materials systems, and create material ontologies.

Project outcome
In my cumulative dissertation, I investigated damage control in the plant kingdom (Speck, Langer, Mylo, 2021). This includes preventing mechanical damage and dealing with any damage that occurs. As a model organism for damage prevention, we have anatomically/morphologically (Mylo et al., 2021a) and mechanically (Mylo et al., 2022a) characterized the hemiparasitic European mistletoe (Viscum album) and its long-lasting connection to the host tree. For the damage management analyses, we worked with two Opuntia species (Opuntia ficus-indica and Cylindropuntia bigelovii), a subfamily of cacti. These were characterized with regard to their self-repair properties (Mylo et al., 2020) and their ability to shed branches for vegetative reproduction under low mechanical forces (abscission), using morphometric measurements, MRI scans, light microscopical imaging (Mylo et al., 2021b) and tensile testing on insolated tissues and entire plant organs (Mylo et al., 2022b).

Dissertation link: https://freidok.uni-freiburg.de/fedora/objects/freidok:231805/datastreams/FILE1/content

First supervisor

Dr. Olga Speck

Publications in livMatS

• Modeling abscission of cacti branches*
  Striet, L., Mylo, M. D., Speck, O., & Dondl, P. W. (2025). Modeling abscission of cacti branches. Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 196, 105965. doi: 10.1016/j.jmps.2024.105965
• Stereo Camera Setup for 360° Digital Image Correlation to Reveal Smart Structures of Hakea Fruits*
  Fischer, M., Mylo, M., Lorenz, L., Böckenholt, L., Beismann, H. (2024): Stereo Camera Setup for 360° Digital Image Correlation to Reveal Smart Structures of Hakea Fruits. Biomimetics, 9 (3): 191. doi: 10.3390/biomimetics9030191
• Digital image correlation techniques for motion analysis and biomechanical characterization of plants*
  Mylo, M.D, Poppinga, S. (2024). Digital image correlation techniques for motion analysis and biomechanical characterization of plants. Frontiers in Plant Science, 14, 1335445. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1335445
• Longevity of System Functions in Biology and Biomimetics: A Matter of Robustness and Resilience*
  Mylo, M.D., Speck, O.: Longevity of System Functions in Biology and Biomimetics: A Matter of Robustness and Resilience. Biomimetics 8(2): 173. doi: 10.3390/biomimetics8020173
• Conjoining Trees for the Provision of Living Architecture in Future Cities: A Long-Term Inosculation Study*
  Mylo, M. D., Ludwig, F., Rahman, M. A., Shu, Q., Fleckenstein, C., Speck, T., & Speck, O. (2023). Conjoining Trees for the Provision of Living Architecture in Future Cities: A Long-Term Inosculation Study. Plants, 12(6), 1385. doi: 10.3390/plants12061385
• Elastic property and fracture mechanics of lateral branch-branch junctions in cacti: A case study of Opuntia ficus-indica and Cylindropuntia bigelovii*
  Mylo, M. D., Hoppe, A., Pastewka, L., Speck, T., & Speck, O. Elastic properties and fracture mechanics of lateral branch-branch junctions in cacti: a case study of Opuntia ficus-indica and Cylindropuntia bigelovii. Frontiers in Plant Science, 2947. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2022.950860
• Biomechanics of the parasite–host interaction of the European mistletoe*
  Mylo, M. D., Hoffmann, M., Balle, F., Beisel, S., Speck, T., & Speck, O. (2022). Biomechanics of the parasite–host interaction of the European mistletoe. Journal of Experimental Botany, 73(4): 1204 – 1221. doi: 10.1093/jxb/erab518 (Special issue “Mechanical Ecology - Taking Biomechanics to the Field”)
• Morphology and Anatomy of Branch–Branch Junctions in Opuntia ficus-indica and Cylindropuntia bigelovii: A Comparative Study Supported by Mechanical Tissue Quantification*
  Mylo, M. D., Hesse, L., Masselter, T., Leupold, J., Drozella, K., Speck, T., & Speck, O. (2021). Morphology and Anatomy of Branch–Branch Junctions in Opuntia ficus-indica and Cylindropuntia bigelovii: A Comparative Study Supported by Mechanical Tissue Quantification. Plants, 10(11), 2313. doi: 10.3390/plants10112313
• Advances on the Visualization of the Internal Structures of the European Mistletoe: 3D Reconstruction Using Microtomography*
  Mylo, M. D., Hofmann, M., Delp, A., Scholz, R., Walther, F., Speck, T., & Speck, O. (2021). Advances on the visualization of the internal structures of the European mistletoe: 3D reconstruction using microtomography. Frontiers in Plant Science, 2085. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2021.715711
• Plant-inspired damage control – An inspiration for sustainable solutions in the Anthropocene*
  Speck, O., Langer, M., & Mylo, M. D. (2021). Plant-inspired damage control–An inspiration for sustainable solutions in the Anthropocene. The Anthropocene Review. doi: 10.1177/20530196211018489
• Failure mechanisms and bending strength of Fuchsia magellanica var. gracilis stems*
  Hone, T., Mylo, M. D., Speck, O., Speck, T., Taylor, D. (2021): Failure mechanisms and bending strength of Fuchsia magellanica var. gracilis stems. Journal of the Royal Society Interface. 18: 20201023. doi: 10.1098/rsif.2020.1023
• Bamboo-inspired tubular scaffolds with functional gradients*
  Yin, K., Mylo, M. D., Speck, T., & Wegst, U. G. (2020). Bamboo-inspired tubular scaffolds with functional gradients. Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 103826. doi: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2020.103826
• Snapping mechanics of the Venus flytrap Dionaea muscipula*
  Sachse, R., Westermeier, A., Mylo, M. D., Nadasdi, J., Bischoff, M., Speck, T., & Poppinga, S. (2020). Snapping mechanics of the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(27), 16035-16042. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2002707117
• 2D and 3D graphical datasets for bamboo-inspired tubular scaffolds with functional gradients: micrographs and tomograms*
  Yin, K., Mylo, M. D., Speck, T., & Wegst, U. G. (2020). 2D and 3D graphical datasets for bamboo-inspired tubular scaffolds with functional gradients: micrographs and tomograms. Data in Brief, 31, 105870. doi: 10.1016/j.dib.2020.105870
• Self-repair in cacti branches: comparative analyses of their morphology, anatomy and biomechanics*
  Mylo, M. D., Krüger, F., Speck, T., & Speck, O.. (2020). Self-Repair in Cacti Branches: Comparative Analyses of Their Morphology, Anatomy, and Biomechanics. International journal of molecular sciences, 21(13), 4630. doi:10.3390/ijms21134630 (Special Issue: Plant Biomechanics)
• 4D pine scale: biomimetic 4D printed autonomous scale and flap structures capable of multi-phase movement*
  Correa, D., Poppinga, S., Mylo, M. D., Westermeier, A. S., Bruchmann, B., Menges, A., & Speck, T. (2020). 4D pine scale: biomimetic 4D printed autonomous scale and flap structures capable of multi-phase movement. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, 378(2167), 20190445. doi: 10.1098/rsta.2019.0445
• Adaptive biomimetic actuator systems reacting to various stimuli by and combining two biological snap-trap mechanics*
  Esser, F., Scherag, F. D., Poppinga, S., Westermeier, A., Mylo, M. D., Kampowski, T., Bold, G., Rühe, J., & Speck, T. (2019, July). Adaptive Biomimetic Actuator Systems Reacting to Various Stimuli by and Combining Two Biological Snap-Trap Mechanics. In Conference on Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems (pp. 114-121). Springer, Cham. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-24741-6_10
  
  
  * Funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) under Germany's Excellence Strategy – EXC-2193/1 – 390951807