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DRESDEN-concept Summer School “Biological Making of Materials” – September 11 to 15, 2023

24.03.2023

Refined over millions of years of evolution, biological materials such as bone, wood and shells are of spectacular beauty and teach us the principles of material design and synthesis. Biological materials are inherently multifunctional and display diverse material properties that we cannot yet reproduce by synthetic routes. They are often composed of a remarkable small number of simple building blocks which are hierarchically structured. The function and properties of biogenic materials depend on the controlled organization of those building blocks at multiple scales which is brought about by the action of the organism’s processing machinery. Understanding the design and production of biological materials (learning from nature) is pivotal to develop new fabrication strategies for the manufacturing of advanced materials with structure and properties mimicking biogenic materials with high precision.

This DIGS-BB Summer School, primarily aimed at Master’s and advanced Bachelor’s students, brings together local experts from the PoL, CRTD, BIOTEC, B CUBE, Faculty of Biology, and MPI-CBG with external renowned scientists in the field of biomaterial research and interested students. The school will consist of scientific talks, methods lectures and hands-on sessions in participating labs. The 5-day program includes ample time for stimulating discussion and social activities, and is tailored to foster interdisciplinary collaboration which is a hallmark of the Dresden Science and Innovation campus.

In this summer school, which will focus on how organisms control and tune their properties, you will learn about the fundamental principles underlying the formation of diverse biological materials and you will be introduced to many advanced tools used to investigate them. Moreover, the school will provide insight on how the architecture and hierarchical organization of biological materials can inspire the design of novel and sustainable materials.

Application
will open on 27 March 2023
will close on 16 June 2023
Notification of Acceptance: End of July

Application is free of charge, but the number of participants is limited.

This event is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Free State of Saxony within the framework of the Excellence Strategy of the Federal Government and the Federal States. The measure DRESDEN-concept Science and Innovation Campus supports, among others, Summer Schools in order to strengthen the cooperation of the implementing institutions, to bundle their research competencies, especially in interdisciplinary topics, and thus to increase the attractiveness of the location for international students and postdocs.