November 23
@
12:00 PM
–
1:00 PM
Network-Topology Design of Extreme Soft Materials for Merging Human-Machine Interface
Shaoting Lin, PhD
Assistant Professor
Mechanical Engineering
UW-Madison
Abstract:
Interfacing electronic/robotic components with biological systems is extremely challenging due to the fundamentally contradictory properties between rigid manmade components and soft living tissues. At Lin Lab, we leverage theory-guided network-topology design, exploiting high-performing soft materials as an ideal material candidate to form long-term, high-efficacy, multi-modal interfaces between electronic/robotic components and biological systems. In the first part of the talk, I will present our recent computational and experimental studies on polymer networks with slipping cross-links, which reveal unconventional mechanical properties of soft materials. Building on the mechanics of slipping networks, I will introduce a gel-based chromoendoscopy that integrates fatigue-resistant photoelastic gels and physics-informed machine learning algorithms, enabling high-resolution and spatially resolved mapping of multi-physical properties of biological tissues. In the second part of the talk, I will discuss a molecule-engineered electrical tissue adhesive as a multimodal platform for site-specific drug delivery and in-situ biomolecule detection. Specifically, I will highlight design principles governing both single-type and multiple-type molecular transport, which underpin controlled drug release and specific biomolecule detection. I will conclude the talk with a perspective on how network-topology design of extreme soft materials can unlock new opportunities in precision healthcare and environmental sustainability.
Print PDF