Green Academy Seminar – How to reconnect science with nature

This Green Academy Seminar will focus on the potential of biomimicry to inspire sustainable research and innovation. We are very happy to welcome three fantastic speakers who have been exploring the intersection between technological innovation and nature through their research. With this event, we hope to build bridges between life sciences and other disciplines, as cross-disciplinary collaboration is a key ingredient for a sustainable future.

• Maggie Lingenfelder – Interfacial science of bio-inspired materials – 17:15
  Material surfaces may be considered as the skin of a material, due to how they are used to communicate and interface with the environment. Maggie’s lab attempts to mimic nature to create sustainable materials and devices. She will present applied examples and potential future directions for the field.
   
• Francesco Stellacci – Fast growth, use and degradation cycles in plastics – 17:40
  Natural materials (such as leaves, bones, proteins) have a surprisingly constant life cycle. A third of their lifespan is used for growth, a third for service, and a third for degradation. Francesco will present how this observation lead to a breakthrough in tackling plastic pollution.
   
• Tiffany Abitbol – Transparent wood and mycelium-based packaging – 18:05
  The production of many human-made items requires large amounts of non-renewable natural resources. Tiffany’s research looks into how to create new materials out of wood and fungi, with applications in clothing, packaging and personal hygiene.
   
• Q&A moderated by Andy Oates, Dean of the School of Life Sciences – 18:30
• Apéro in the SV Hall – 19:00