Research Area B

Adaptivity

Living structures can respond to changing environmental conditions with nuanced and diverse reactions. This should also be true for the materials systems developed in livMatS. Beyond that, the materials systems envisioned should be capable of self-improvement and simple forms of “learning” and training. Research will focus on the three important soft material classes:
natural and synthetic polymers, DNA, and peptides or proteins.
These soft material classes have the potential to integrate diverse switching and information-processing systems that are molecularly controlled, correlated, and self-regulating.

Based on these approaches, the adaptive soft macromolecular materials systems developed in livMatS will break with present concepts of responsive materials that mostly shift passively between equilibrium states. Instead, materials systems should exhibit complex adaptation mechanisms, such as adaptation to non-trivial functional states similar to those encountered in metamaterials or shape morphing, linear and non-linear signal strength-dependent adaptation, and exposure frequency-dependent adaptation.

Coordinators Research Area B
Prof. Dr. Henning Jessen, Prof. Dr. Bastian E. Rapp

Projects within Research Area B

Longterm Projects 2022 and 2023

• The Autonomous Eyeball: how optically controlled optics can use light to steer light
• AI²nterface – Advanced interfaces for modular livMats through AI assisted design and experimental realization of programmable materials interfaces
  This project is a cooperation between research areas B and C.
• Theoretical modeling of nonequilibrium chemical fueling, self-regulation, and the multi-stimuli response and adaptation of hydrogel-based materials
• From Phase Separation to Living Materials
• Soft autonomous machine systems driven by hydrogen peroxide based gas pressure generation with logic gated fuel/gas distribution system (H2O2LogicGatesSaM)
  This project is a collaboration between research areas B and Demonstrators.
• Chemically fueled driven adaptivity in materials systems (H2O2-O2-fueled Adaptivity)
• Gallisense - Giving materials the passive ability to sense
• Encapsulated Chemistries in Rationally Designed Metamaterials for Advanced Multi-Functionalities on Demand
  This project is a cooperation between research areas B and C.
• Volumetrically-programmable four-dimensional actuators – V4DA
• Thermoelectric Energy Harvesting with Responsive Metamaterial Surfaces - ThermoMetaS
  This project is a collaboration between research areas A and B.
• (Photo)electrochemical production of H2O2 for H2O2-fueled adaptive processes i.e. H2O2-fueled chemistry and demonstratory (H2O2-Synthesis)
  This project is a collaboration between research areas A and B.
• Bottom-up design of adaptive materials from redox responsive building blocks
• The non-local meta-material of the pomelo peel for bio-inspired long-fiber reinforcement
  This project is a collaboration between research areas B and Demonstrators. It is carried out within the the Cluster’s Agnes Pockels Doctoral Fellowship Program.
• Construction of Active Self-Assembling Materials
  This project is carried out within the Cluster’s Hermann Staudinger Doctoral Fellowship Program.

Longterm Projects 2019 and 2020

• Development of photo-responsive systems towards recyclable adaptive materials
• SEAAM: Spontaneous Emergence of Adaptive and Active Materials
• Dissipative systems engineering: Chemically fueled active molecular systems
• Logic Self-Reporting Mechano-Adaptive Metamaterials
• Autonomous light-actuated LCE actuators
• Demonstrator for soft autonomous machines – soft robotic low energy gripper systems with sensing capabilities based on livMatS Materials
  This project is a cooperation between research areas B, D and Demonstrators.
• Hierarchically Programmable Materials with Propagating Stimulus Responsive Elements and Metamaterial Ultrastructuring
  This project is a cooperation between research areas B and C.
• Training Materials like Muscles
  This project is a cooperation between research areas B and C.
• Mechanical metamaterials that can adapt and learn
  This project is a cooperation between research areas B and C.
• Recombinant Production of Spider Silk Protein in Moss
  This project is carried out within the the Cluster’s Agnes Pockels Doctoral Fellowship Program.
• Development of an artificial Venus flytrap
  This project is a collaboration between research areas A, B, C and Demonstrators.

Booster Projects 2023 - finished

• Controlled oxygen release through force
  This project is a cooperation between research areas B and Demonstrators.
  Principal Investigators: PD Dr. Michael Walter and Prof. Dr. Henning Jessen
• Plant-inspired humidity-driven bending actuator
  This project is a cooperation between research areas B, C and Demonstrators.
  Responsible Investigator: Prof. Dr. Claas Müller
  Principal Investigators: Dr. Olga Speck and Prof. Dr. Thomas Speck
• Biomechanics of liana tendrils and searcher twigs as models for novel plant-inspired soft root arms
  This project is a cooperation between research areas B and Demonstrators.
  Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Thomas Speck
• 3D Printing of shape-morphing surfaces for mechanical metamaterial surfaces
  This project is a cooperation between research areas B, C and Demonstrators.
  Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Bastian E. Rapp
  Junior Research Group leader: Dr. Viacheslav Slesarenko
• Maskless microstructuring of livMatS surfaces
  This project is a cooperation between research areas B, C and Demonstrators.
  Principal Investigators: Prof. Dr. Jürgen Rühe and Prof. Dr. Bastian E. Rapp
• Intra- and extracellular self-assembly of filamentous protein polymers
  This project is a cooperation between research areas B, C and D.
  Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Ralf Reski
• Programmable Hydrogel Hopper: Mechanical Confinement Harnessing Slow Deformation
  This project is a cooperation between research areas B and C.
  Principal Investigators: Prof. Dr. Chris Eberl and Prof. Dr. Bastian E. Rapp
• A sustainable approach towards peptide synthesis in water
  This project is a cooperation between research areas A, B, D and Demonstrators.
  Junior Research Group leader: Dr. Charalampos Pappas
  Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Jürgen Rühe
• Thin-walled structures for soft machines via a new soap-bubbleinspired manufacturing technique
  This project is a cooperation between research areas B, C and Demonstrators.
  Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Chris Eberl
• Emergent self-organization in macroscopic systems with stimuli-responsive elements
  This project is a cooperation between research areas A, B and Demonstrators.
  Junior Research Group leader: Dr. Viacheslav Slesarenko
  Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Lars Pastewka
• ECPhotoACT - First steps towards photoelectrochemical actuators
  This project is a cooperation between research areas A, B and Demonstrators.
  Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Anna Fischer
• Carbohydrates as predetermined enzymatic breaking points in surface-bound cross-linked polymers
  This project is a cooperation between research areas B and D.
  Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Jürgen Rühe
  Responsible Investigator: Prof. Dr. Daniel B. Werz

Booster Projects 2021 - finished

• Development of dynamic photocrosslinkers towards renewable thermosets
  Junior Research Group leader: Dr. Céline Calvino
• Non-equilibrium peptide chemical networks
  Junior Research Group leader: Dr. Charalampos Pappas
  Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Thorsten Hugel
• Magnetically and multiresponsive microstructures
  Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Jürgen Rühe
• Autonomous Protein-Material-Machines Utilizing Electrical Energy to Adopt Non-Equilibrium States Exerting Controlled Movements
  Responsible Investigator: Dr. Stefan Schiller
• (Self-)adaptive energy-autonomous materials systems for building hulls inspired by hygroscopically actuated plant structures
  This project is a cooperation between research areas B and C.
  Principal Investigators: Prof. Dr. Thomas Speck and Prof. Dr. Jürgen Rühe
• Novel Materials Systems for Applications in Biomimetic Architecture and Building Construction
  This project is a cooperation among research areas B and C and Demonstrators.
  Principal Investigators: Prof. Dr. Thomas Speck and Prof. Dr. Jürgen Rühe

Compact Projects 2021 - finished

• Adaptive Peptide Libraries
  This project is a cooperation between research areas A and B.
  Junior Research Group leader: Dr. Charalampos Pappas
• Photoswitchable G analogues for reversible DNA modulation
  Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Henning Jessen
• High-resolution multimaterial 3D Printing via 2-Photon Polymerization
  Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Bastian E. Rapp
• Fluorescence-assisted screening of spider-silk protein characteristics
  Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Ralf Reski
• Magnetic actuated actuators
  Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Jürgen Rühe
• Characterization and evaluation of 3D printing techniques for rapid prototyping of pneumatic biomimetic soft robotic gripper fingers
  Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Thomas Speck
• Demonstrator for two stimuli actuoators: change in humidity and temperature triggers AVFT system as initialization for further actuation
  Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Jürgen Rühe

Compact Projects 2020 - finished

• Towards high-resolution polymorphic materials for information encoding and real-time volumetric assessment of material properties
  Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Bastian E. Rapp
• Interaction partners of FtsZ isoforms in Physcomitrella
  Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Ralf Reski
• Magnetically responsive Microstructures
  Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Jürgen Rühe
• Fiber Compound Connection
  This project is a cooperation between research areas B and Demonstrators.
  Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Thomas Speck
• Lightweight Materials Systems
  This project is a cooperation between research areas B and Demonstrators.
  Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Thomas Speck
• Force dependent barriers for sacrificial bonds in mecha-noresponsive materials.
  Principal Investigator: PD Dr. Michael Walter
• Hydrogenase-Electrode-Hybrids towards enzymatic proton production for ATP Synthases
  This project is a cooperation between research areas A and B.
  Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Anna Fischer
• Porosity- and charge storage tailoring in mesoporous nitrogen doped carbon nanospheres
  This project is a cooperation between research areas A and B.
  Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Anna Fischer
• Tuning the physicochemical properties of porous carbon materials as electrode materials for redox-flow batteries
  This project is a cooperation between research areas A and B.
  Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Anna Fischer