How do geckos stick to trees in humid environments? Why are mussels so great at sticking to boats and other surfaces? How does biological research inspire new technological innovation in adhesives? What are the applications of these new technologies?
Watch the recording here!
Dr. Messersmith's presentation, Lab Page & Faculty Page
Dr. Crosby's presentation, Lab Page & Faculty Page
Speaker Information
Phillip B. Messersmith, Ph.D. is the Class of 1941 Professor in the Departments of Bioengineering and Materials Science and Engineering at UC-Berkeley. He earned his B.S. degree in life sciences from the University of Illinois at Urbana, M.S degree in bioengineering from Clemson University, and his Ph.D. degree in materials science and engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana. Previously, Dr. Messersmith was a postdoctoral fellow at Cornell University (1993-1994), and a faculty member at University of Illinois at Chicago (1994-1997) and Northwestern University (1997-2014). Dr. Messersmith has published over 220 papers and has 44 patents awarded. His awards and honors include a MERIT award from the National Institutes of Health, the Langmuir Lecture Award from the American Chemical Society, and the 2013 Clemson Award for Basic Research from the Society for Biomaterials. Dr. Messersmith is a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and the International Union of Societies of Biomaterials Science and Engineering. His current research interests are in understanding structure- processing-property relationships in biological and bioinspired materials, studying molecular phenomena in biological adhesion, and developing novel materials for regenerative medicine.
Al Crosby, Ph.D. is a Professor of Polymer Science & Engineering at the UMass Amherst. Dr. Crosby is a materials scientist and engineer interested in the mechanics of soft materials and biological systems and the leader of the initial project that developed Geckskin™. In addition to Geckskin™, he leads a research group focused on learning and using lessons from nature to influence structure–property–function relationships in synthetic materials. His research on adhesion, wrinkling, cavitation, and nanoparticle assemblies has garnered international acclaim and numerous honors and awards. He has delivered well over 100 invited lectures at universities, conferences, and companies worldwide. His research has been highlighted extensively in the popular media and he holds several patents for the technologies that have evolved from his group's focus on fundamental science and engineering.