Engineering Living Soft Matter

Living systems are defined by their ability to adapt, communicate, learn, and sustain dynamic activity through energy-driven processes. This focus group pioneers the engineering of life-like soft matter systems by integrating principles from biology - such as metabolism, feedback regulation, information processing, and non-equilibrium dynamics - into synthetic materials. By combining chemistry, physics, biology, and engineering, we aim to develop adaptive, interactive, and autonomous materials that go beyond passive responsiveness to exhibit embodied intelligence. Our work spans from molecular-scale reaction networks and artificial cells to soft robots and bio-hybrid devices, with a strong emphasis on modularity, self-organization, and decision-making capacity.

We leverage chemical reaction networks, synthetic biology, neuromorphic electronics, metamaterial elements, active matter physics, and advanced fabrication techniques to create next-generation materials that sense, learn, and act in complex environments. By building an interdisciplinary community in Mainz and the Rhine-Main-University (RMU) region, we seek to establish a globally visible hub for one of the most transformative frontiers in materials science: the engineering of soft matter that lives, learns, and evolves.

Research Scope

Chemical Intelligence: Design of autocatalytic networks, feedback loops, and synthetic metabolic pathways using enzymes, synthetic biology, and chemical reaction network engineering.
Physical Intelligence: Development of mechanically adaptive metamaterials, self-actuating structures, and active matter systems driven by non-equilibrium dynamics.
Information Processing Materials: Embedding memory, learning, and decision-making capabilities via bio-inspired computing modules in soft materials.
Artificial Cells & Bio-Hybrid Systems: Engineering artificial cells with sensing, signaling, energy harvesting, and communication functions for medical and environmental applications.
Modular Fabrication & System Integration: Advancing microfluidics, 3D printing, and hierarchical self-assembly to build scalable, plug-and-play components for complex functional systems.
Theory & Modeling: Development of predictive frameworks for out-of-equilibrium systems, including reaction-diffusion dynamics, non-equilibrium thermodynamics, and machine learning-guided design.
Biological Blueprints & Applications: Drawing inspiration from natural systems (e.g., cell signaling, immune response) to inform the design of adaptive materials, with applications in self-healing materials, soft robotics, and bio-interactive therapeutics.