Within the past decade, advances in the fields of biophysics, nanotechnology, biochemistry and genomics have provided unprecedented opportunities to manipulate and measure the deformability and adhesion of single biological cells and molecules. These advances offer unique opportunities to probe the connections between the mechanics of living cells or subcellular protein molecular structures and human disease states. This presentation will examine such connections in the context of major human disease groups: infectious disease (in the context of P. falciparum malaria), cancer, and several hereditary blood cell disorders. In each case, the discussion will focus on how cell and molecular mechanics influence, or are influenced by, the disease state, with a view to summarize recent advances and to highlight areas for significant further research is needed.

TBA

As a specialty materials/chemicals company, our more than 7000 products are used in more than 25 industries ranging from electronics and automotive to health, home care and paints and inks. This breadth and diversity offers us a unique view of the trends that cut broadly across the entire materials landscape and means we develop new Si-based materials for a wide range of applications. In this presentation we will discuss these trends and how the materials R&D world is responding. Trends like rising energy costs, environmentally friendly materials and processes, recycling, and convergence of electronics and photonics have driven the necessity to deliver properties such as: light harvesting, band gap matching, responsive materials, printable materials, patternable materials and ordered materials over a range of dimensions. The discussion will include new materials as well as new forms of old materials that have been developed to deliver these properties and fuel innovation in a variety of industries.

Hydrogels provide a unique, largely aqueous environment for 3D cell culture, and when locally modified with appropriate signaling molecules, these synthetic niches can facilitate the regeneration of tissues. While the gel environment is often >90% water, the microscopic architecture and local chemistry play important roles in dictating cell morphology, proliferation, and differentiation; gel degradation and erosion; and the secretion and distribution of extracellular matrix molecules. This talk will illustrate several examples where the regeneration of neotissue structures is highly coupled to the biophysical and biochemical properties of the gels, and demonstrate how appropriate tuning of the gel properties can create microenvironments that simply permit cells to function to those that actively promote specific cell functions. Integral to this understanding is the ability to manipulate the underlying gel chemistry and properties through the synthesis of macromolecular precursors and control of the gelation process.

The presentation will contemplate on some riddles and stories which are of interest since the dawn of materials history and research. The discussion of these diverse topics will be embedded into the presentation of a brief etymology of the metals. Within this structure the following aspects will receive particular attention: Modern approaches to the ab-initio based investigation of novel biomedical metallic grades (subtitle : the materials science of Terminator IV). Recent advances in the science of chitin-based nano-composites – what can be learnt from the protective exoskeleton design of large arthropods. The future is made of steel: News from the modern iron ages – from iron masks of the roman empire to stainless steels from outer sky.