Predictive Assembly: Interdisciplinary Research Group 1 (IRG1) couples computational design with materials synthesis to identify new ways to assemble meso-scale materials. The IRG deploys state-of-the-art computational tools to map the energy landscape around nano-scale building blocks. By exploring the mesophase space around these building blocks, the IRG is able to rationally design them such that they will self-assemble into larger, meso-scale structures with pre-determined properties. The IRG then characterizes the resulting properties, feeding these results back into the computational models to iteratively design the optimal mesostructure. These meso-scale materials are of interest for a wide range of optical, medical, energy storage, and quantum device applications.

Engineered Living Materials: Interdisciplinary Research Group 2 (IRG 2) develops techniques that enable the creation of materials at the living/non-living interface.  The IRG incorporates living systems (such as bacteria and algae) into polymeric hosts, in order to impart new properties to the polymers, such as the ability to self-heal after damage, or to move or flex in response to external stimuli.  These systems have potential uses as micro-scale chemical factories to synthesize new therapeutic drugs, in biosynthetic electronics, in decontamination of environmental toxins, as reporters to indicate the health of crops, and in soft robotics—among many other applications.

The MRSEC leaders are all recognized experts in their research and education domains and have outstanding track records of participation in multi-investigator projects. The team includes assistant, mid-career, and senior faculty in a shared management and mentorship arrangement