Spores, resilient dormant cells with size and shape akin to colloidal particles, hold promise as unique natural particles. Their ability to endure harsh environments offering exceptional tolerance for various manufacturing processes. Compared to traditional colloidal particles, spores can become active cells in favorable conditions, introducing dynamism to the system. While bacterial spores have found applications in biotechnology, their potential in constructing living materials has only been explored through embedding spores as additives—not as foundational building blocks. We aim to fill this gap by investigating the feasibility of harnessing Bacillus subtilis spores as building blocks for living materials. A key question is whether bacterial spores can be treated as traditional passive particles, and to what extent.
Our research focuses on understanding the colloidal behaviour of bacterial spores through diverse characterization techniques. - Biomaterials, Interdisciplinary Engineering, Materials Engineering
- Internship, Master Thesis, Semester Project, Summer School
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Jellyfish-inspired robots have gained significant attention in soft robotics and biomimetic engineering due to their energy efficiency, silent propulsion, and adaptability to aquatic environments. The AI-powered Jellyfish robots offer a promising avenue for developing next-generation robotic systems with applications in biomedical research, environmental monitoring, and marine life interaction. - Engineering and Technology
- ETH Zurich (ETHZ), Master Thesis
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Ultrasound-based transcranial therapy is emerging as a non-invasive and highly precise technique for treating neurological disorders, enhancing drug delivery, and promoting brain stimulation. By leveraging an advanced ultrasound transducer array embedded in a wearable helmet, this project aims to develop a novel system for targeted, real-time brain therapy - Engineering and Technology, Medical and Health Sciences
- ETH Zurich (ETHZ), Master Thesis
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Introduction and Background
Skin cells dynamically respond to mechanical and biochemical stimuli, which influence critical processes such as proliferation, differentiation, and migration. Mechanobiology, the study of these responses, requires advanced in vitro systems to emulate physiological conditions. This project utilizes a device designed for controlled manipulation of hydrostatic pressure (0.1–1.5 kPa) and substrate stiffness (0.1–100 kPa). The system facilitates isolated and scalable experiments to analyze how the interplay of these mechanical parameters affects cell behavior. - Biomaterials, Biomechanical Engineering, Engineering/Technology Instrumentation, Polymers, Software Engineering
- Bachelor Thesis, ETH Zurich (ETHZ), Master Thesis
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Development of a linear electrostatic film actuator for soft robotic applications such as the actuation of a humanoid robotic hand. - Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Materials Engineering, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
- Master Thesis
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Design and build dexterous human-like robotic hands with us at the Soft Robotics Lab and the spin-off mimic. We will explore different possibilities of developing design features such as tendon-driven mechanisms, lightweight structures, and complex mechanical joints of the hand. The developed features shall be integrated into a fully functional robotic hand and applied to solve practical manipulation challenges. - Mechanical Engineering
- Bachelor Thesis, Master Thesis, Semester Project
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The student will develop an FPGA-based platform for interacting with in-vitro neuronal cultures, including real-time spike detection and neuron stimulation. The project is focused on VHDL programming, although it could include other software development and/or wet-lab tasks with neurons depending on the interests of the student. - Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Neurosciences
- Bachelor Thesis, Internship, Master Thesis, Semester Project
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Microorganisms that can be found everywhere in our environment are able to produce a variety of molecules from very simple precursors. Some of the products synthetized by bacteria are materials with fascinating properties such as cellulose with excellent mechanical properties. Materials produced by living cells are attractive because they are produced with minimal energy input and are based on green chemicals. Moreover, if well-designed, these materials still contain the living cells and are thus able to react onto external stimuli. Therefore, they have the potential to repair themselves upon damage or form materials with locally defined microstructures and architectures. - Chemistry, Composite Materials, Microbiology
- Bachelor Thesis, Internship, Master Project (D-MATL), Master Thesis, Semester Project
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This project focuses on the design of low-noise, low-power, compact amplifiers for next-generation neural interfaces. - Integrated Circuits
- Master Thesis, Semester Project
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The development of advanced composite materials is critical to meeting the evolving needs of modern manufacturing and performance-driven industries. Forging processes offer a unique approach to fabricating aluminum matrix composites (AMCs). This project aims to establish a forging methodology for producing aluminum-based composites reinforced with carbide powders, ensuring the structural integrity and processability of the resulting rods and wires for additive manufacturing applications. Using a forging machine known as a round swage, composite-filled tubes will be compacted into solid rods and wires. These forged materials will be further analysed for their suitability in Ultrasonic Plasma Atomization (UPA) and other advanced manufacturing techniques such as Direct Energy Deposition (DED). - Alloy Materials, Composite Materials, Metallurgy
- Bachelor Thesis
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