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#8 Swiss researchers eye biology to create self-repairing infrastructure

In Switzerland, researchers are looking at ways to leverage living plant structures to create self-repairing infrastructure. “We’re seeing a fusion of materials science and biology,” Mark Tibbitt, Professor at the Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory at ETH Zurich, tells TechXplore.

This includes incorporating biological functions into materials. New gene editing technology like CRISPR is making this easier to do. “The fascinating thing about living organisms is that they perceive their environment, react to it and even heal themselves when injured. We want to instill these qualities in materials and infrastructures,” says Tibbitt.

Tibbitt has partnered with Eleni Chatzi, Professor of Structural Mechanics at ETH Zurich and an expert in structural monitoring, to create an interdisciplinary dialogue around integrating biological materials to create self-healing structures.

“ETH Zurich is the perfect hub for this venture because it has so much expertise in all the key areas,” says Tibbitt. A workshop is scheduled for this spring.
More on the story, here.