Speaker
Description
Living matter gets its function from soft interactions, multivalency, and constant exchange with the environment, operating far from equilibrium. By applying these principles to synthetic systems, we can create biomaterials that self-assemble, adapt, and respond in biologically inspired ways. This approach supports the development of polymersomes and similar nanoscale structures, whose behavior depends not only on their composition but also on their interactions across different scales. Importantly, such systems enable phenotypic targeting, where materials react to functional states instead of static molecular markers, and can move directionally through chemotaxis and phoresis, navigating gradients of chemical or physical cues. Embracing emergence as a design principle allows biomaterials to evolve from passive carriers to active, decision-making systems that engage with biology on its own terms.
