The lecture content is currently being finalised; in the meantime, please find a provisional outline here:
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Active matter and light-responsive material system
This course explores active matter and light-responsive material systems. Students will learn how light can be used to control motion, structure, and function in dynamic soft materials, with emphasis on self-organisation, stimulus response, and applications in adaptive and programmable biomaterials.
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Advanced electron microscopy characterization
This course introduces advanced electron microscopy techniques for the structural and chemical characterization of biomaterials. Students will learn how to use high-resolution imaging, spectroscopy, and diffraction methods to examine microstructure, composition, and nanoscale organization, with emphasis on structure–property relationships in functional and biological materials.
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Advanced optical characterisation
This course covers advanced methods for investigating the optical properties of materials and structures. Students will learn how to use techniques such as spectroscopy, microscopy, and ellipsometry to relate optical response to composition, structure, and function, with emphasis on applications in materials science and biomaterials.
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Basics on synthetic biology for fungal mycelium bio-fabrication
This course introduces the basics of synthetic biology in the context of fungal mycelium bio-fabrication. Students will explore how genetic and biological design tools can be used to tune fungal growth, structure, and function for sustainable material production and biomaterial applications.
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Bio-fabrication methods for engineering life-mimicking materials
This course introduces bio-fabrication methods for creating life-mimicking materials. Students will explore techniques like 3D bioprinting, electrospinning, and self-assembly using bioinks and hydrogels to engineer biomimetic structures that replicate the hierarchical organisation, mechanics, and functionality of living tissues for engineering applications.
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Chemistry of polysaccharide-based materials
This course explores the chemistry of polysaccharides as key components in biomaterials. Students will examine their molecular structure, chemical modification, and assembly into functional systems such as hydrogels, scaffolds, and biointerfaces. Emphasis is placed on structure/property relationships relevant to biocompatibility, biodegradability, and interactions with cells and tissues, highlighting the role of polysaccharides in biomedical and bioinspired applications.
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Green electrochemical methods
This course introduces green electrochemical methods for sustainable synthesis and processing. Students will explore how electricity can be used to drive chemical transformations under mild, efficient, and environmentally friendly conditions, with emphasis on reducing waste, improving selectivity, and supporting cleaner material production.
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Life-Cycle-Assessment and harnessing abundant biopolymers
This course introduces the principles of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as a tool for evaluating the environmental impacts of materials and processes, with a focus on abundant biopolymers. Students will learn how to assess resource use, emissions, and sustainability across the full life cycle, from raw material extraction to end-of-life. The course also explores strategies for harnessing renewable biopolymers as alternatives to conventional materials, emphasising their potential for sustainable design and circular-economy approaches.
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Mathematical description of structure and topology
This course provides mathematical descriptions of structure and topology in applied geometry and topology for soft matter. Students will learn tools to analyse entangled networks, mesoscale geometry, and three-dimensional motifs in biological and soft materials.
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Polypeptide-based materials
This course introduces polypeptide-based materials, focusing on their design, synthesis, and biomaterial applications. Students will explore how polypeptide structure and self-assembly can be used to create functional, biodegradable, and biocompatible materials for biomedical uses such as drug delivery, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine.
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Self-Assembly with biomaterials
This course explores the principles of self-assembly in biomaterials. Students will learn how molecular interactions drive the formation of structured, functional materials, with emphasis on bioinspired design.
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Statistical and AI methods in physical and biological materials
This course explores statistical and AI methods for analyzing physical and biological materials. Students will learn data-driven techniques, including machine learning, Bayesian inference, and neural networks, to model structure-property relationships, predict material behavior, and accelerate discovery in complex systems such as polymers, biomaterials, and soft matter.