Skip to main content
UMass Collegiate M The University of Massachusetts Amherst
  • Visit
  • Apply
  • Give
  • Search UMass.edu
College of Natural Sciences College of Natural Sciences

Main navigation

  • Academics
    Undergraduate programsGraduate programsCertificate programsFlexible and online learningAll academic programsCourses
    See all departments
    AdvisingStudent resourcesScholarshipsDegree requirementsCareer Center
  • Research
    Research centers & institutesUndergraduate researchGreenhousesIndustry partnershipsResearch supportCNS Bridge and Seed Funding (BSF) programScientific glassblowing laboratory
  • Campus & Outreach
    Diversity, Equity & InclusionOffice of Student Success & DiversityEureka!Community ConnectionsGivingCenter for Agriculture, Food, and the EnvironmentUMass Extension
  • About
    NewsStoriesEventsPeopleMeet the leadershipBuildings and facilitiesContact
    Information for faculty & staffInformation for alumni

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. News

PSE Collaborates with University of Bayreuth on Advanced and Living Materials

December 18, 2024 Community

Content

A 20245 symposium between UMass Amherst and the University of Bayreuth, Germany

Maria Santore, a professor in the College of Natural Sciences's Department of Polymer Science and Engineering (PSE), and Markus Retsch of the University of Bayreuth, Germany, recently convened a collaborative symposium and workshop on advanced and living materials on the UMass Amherst campus.

On December 9 and 10, a delegation of 16 faculty and scientists from the University of Bayreuth joined with UMass faculty members and students for a collaborative event hosted by PSE, the Office of Global Affairs, the UMass Amherst Institute for Hierarchical Manufacturing, and the Center for University of Massachusetts-Industry Research on Polymers (CUMIRP).

The symposium was attended by more than 100 participants, who hailed from six departments across the College of Natural Sciences and the College of Engineering, and showcased the cutting-edge soft materials research being conducted at the two institutions. Discussions amplified common interests and complimentary approaches, capabilities, and instrumentation.

Special sections of the program were dedicated to important emergent areas, such as the use of machine learning to guide the creation of new polymeric materials and, separately, the nascent field of living materials, in which bacteria are employed for targeted applications that require their genetic manipulation and integration into polymeric and particulate matrices such as fibers, concretes, and structured composites.

The program included a poster session featuring 35 student project and faculty-group posters, a review of complimentary facilities, and roundtable workshop discussions by students and faculty addressing collaborations, future joint symposia, and research-driven student and faculty residencies across institutions.

“It was wonderful to have such engagement across the colleges and between UMass Amherst and the University of Bayreuth,” says Santore. “From wonderful overviews provided by Sanjay Raman, dean of the College of Engineering, and Al Crosby, department head of polymer science, to presentations on the latest science by students and faculty, it was a great way to kickstart new multi-university, international collaborations."


This story was originally published by the UMass News Office.

Article posted in Community for Faculty , Prospective students , and Public

Related programs

  • Polymer Science and Engineering

Related departments

  • Polymer Science and Engineering

Site footer

College of Natural Sciences
  • X
  • Find us on Facebook
  • Find us on YouTube
  • Find us on LinkedIn
  • Find us on Instagram
Address

101 Stockbridge Hall
80 Campus Center Way
Amherst, MA 01003-9248
United States

Phone number
(413) 545-2766

Info for...

  • Current students
  • Faculty and staff
  • Alumni

Academics

  • Explore our programs
  • Departments

The college

  • About CNS
  • News
  • Events

Contact

  • Contact CNS
  • Directory

Global footer

  • ©2025 University of Massachusetts Amherst
  • Site policies
  • Privacy
  • Non-discrimination notice
  • Accessibility
  • Terms of use