Imagine buildings that can repair themselves, fabrics that grow into new shapes on demand, or medical implants that release drugs only when needed. These are not science fiction, but real visions from the field of engineered living materials. Researchers in this area combine the properties of synthetic materials with the dynamic capabilities of living systems, aiming for solutions that are not only functional, but also sustainable.
To realize such innovations, interdisciplinary collaboration is essential. Material chemists, synthetic biologists, physicists, bioinformaticians, and engineers all contribute to a shared research objective. However, working across disciplines requires a common framework for organizing and exchanging data. Research data management provides this foundation. It enables scientists to integrate existing knowledge into their work and to ensure that their new findings are available for others.
Dr. Christian Müller supports researchers in the Engineered Living Materials Priority Program by helping them standardize data formats. This effort addresses a key challenge in the field: engineered living materials are highly dynamic and require extensive data from diverse conditions, methods, and sources. Without clear standards, sharing and reusing such data becomes nearly impossible.
By aligning data practices with the FAIR principles—findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable—the project fosters a collaborative environment where research progress builds upon shared knowledge. The work benefits from the existing structures within the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI), particularly NFDI-MatWerk, and contributes to bridging the gap between Life Science and Materials Science.
Dr. Müller’s perspective illustrates how coordinated data strategies not only enhance individual research efforts but also shape the future of engineered materials. A future where sustainable, adaptive technologies emerge from interdisciplinary collaboration and shared digital infrastructure.
Further examples of NFDI-MatWerk’s contributions to the MSE community can be found at: https://nfdi-matwerk.de/outreach/showcase
More information on the SPP: https://spp2451.de/