Strategic Research Centre for Biomimetic Fibre Engineering
- Reference number
- A3 05:198
- Start and end dates
- 060101-121231
- Amount granted
- 51 000 000 SEK
- Administrative organization
- KTH - Royal Institute of Technology
- Research area
- Life Science Technology
Summary
The Mission of the Centre for Biomimetic Fibre Engineering is to build a truly cross-disciplinary Centre of Excellence with cutting edge expertise at every level of the formation, modification and industrial utilisation of wood, fibres and their constituent polymers. Nature is an engineer far superior to man in the design and manufacturing of structures and materials of high performance. Biomimetics is an emerging field engaged in the design of systems, materials, and their functionality to mimic biological systems. By learning from nature we can improve biocompatibility and engineer materials to have many different properties for increased functionality. Mimicry of the natural self-assembly of molecules has a high potential for contributing to the future development of intelligent nanomaterials. However, world-class infrastructures and new interdisciplinary skills in biotechnological engineering and advanced materials technology will be essential in order to master the challenges of biomaterial design. The overall goal of the proposed Centre for Biomimetic Fibre Engineering is to gain an understanding of the self-assembly, structure and properties of complex cell walls of wood fibres in order to use the cell wall as a biomimetic model for advanced materials design.