Translating Nature’s Designs into Materials for the Future

The interdisciplinary field of bioinspired materials involves developing a fundamental understanding of the structure, properties, and function of naturally occurring materials and using this knowledge to design artificial materials that mimic - and potentially learn from and outperform - aspects of the living originals. Bioinspired materials are at the intersection of several fields of science and technology, and the Bioinspired Materials GRC will bring together a diverse group of scientists and researchers to foster the cross-fertilization of ideas between fields in which bioinspired materials play a role.

In the 2026 edition of the GRC, we will encourage speakers and attendees to discuss scientific problems in nature for which biomimetic solutions have not yet been found, as well as areas where biomimicry leads to engineered solutions that have no natural counterpart. The presentations and discussions will aim to discover new approaches that will bring us closer to solving these unsolved problems.

The meeting will be preceded by a Gordon Research Seminar for graduate students and postdocs to present their work prior to the conference.