Engineering Active (Bio)Materials

Our world is full of life that relies on dynamic, responsive phenomena to adapt to ever-changing environments. In the Hebner Lab, we are excited about replicating the sophistication of these dynamic biological processes in synthetic soft matter systems by incorporating stimuli-responsiveness within polymer networks. Using a combination of polymer physics, chemistry, and biology, we focus on understanding the underlying principles of these dynamic systems and building a toolbox for the design of responsive polymers, ultimately leading to innovation in applications such as soft robotics, medical devices, and tissue engineering – all of which share a common goal of mimicking or regulating biological function.