| EPSRC Reference: |
EP/N005791/1 |
| Title: |
Computational Colloids: Engineered bacteria as computational agents in the design and manufacture of new materials and structures. |
| Principal Investigator: |
Dade-Robertson, Professor M |
| Other Investigators: |
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| Researcher Co-Investigators: |
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| Project Partners: |
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| Department: |
Sch of Architect, Planning & Landscape |
| Organisation: |
Newcastle University |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research - NR1 |
| Starts: |
01 October 2015 |
Ends: |
31 March 2017 |
Value (£): |
240,435
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
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| EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
| Manufacturing |
Construction |
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| Related Grants: |
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| Panel History: |
| Panel Date | Panel Name | Outcome |
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29 Apr 2015
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Design the Future Interviews
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Announced
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
This project investigates how Civil Engineering may be integrated with the emerging field of Synthetic Biology. Combining these fields has potentially transformative implications for both and may generate a new field of Engineering Design.
Imagine a column of sand saturated with billions of engineered bacteria cells. As a force is applied to the top of the column, bacteria in the sand detect an increase in pressure. The bacteria respond by synthesising a new biological material to bind the grains together and resisting the load. The resulting structure would consist of a material where sand grains are only cemented where the forces through the material require.
We propose a proof of concept to show how we might design a manufacturing process where the material itself acts as manufacturer and designer, modelling and responding to its environment. Such a technology would push well beyond the current state of the art and challenge a new generation of engineering designers to think at multiple scales from molecular to the built environment and to anticipate civil engineering with living organisms.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
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| Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.ncl.ac.uk |