Engineered Living Materials (ELM)
Abstract
The Engineered Living Materials (ELM) program is pursuing new approaches to engineer complex biological systems for enhanced capabilities and functional materials to improve military infrastructure design and logistics, sensors, and platforms. Complex biological materials and systems have unique properties (e.g., controlled porosity, high strength-to-weight ratios, magnetic, optical) not only because of the inherent components but also because of how those components are assembled together across length scales. Engineering biology tools and techniques are now at a stage to pursue the production, organization, and function of biomaterial systems for a variety of improved capabilities. This program is developing underlying technological platforms to enable information-driven assembly of hierarchical biological systems as well as alternate approaches for the advanced development of critical molecules and materials. Advances in this program will impact next-generation material design for optical and electronic applications; military approaches to infrastructure design in austere environments; as well as established methods for the manufacture and maintenance of military platforms.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Accomplishment
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2023
- Source ID
- 567a14d9f920c14482da673472fb80e2