Monomaterial Composites

Tufts University Silklab, Medford, MA (PhD in Materials Science and Biomedical Engineering)

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(***Publication in process, do not reproduce***)

Based on the close relationship between the structure and function of silk protein, I developed a technique to make programmable composites made of a single material by spatially controlling secondary structure. I employed a research-grade inkjet printer (Fujifilm Dimatix) to selectively print crystallinity-inducing inks based on designed patterns, and was able to produce constructs that behaved like multi-material composites with respect to mechanical properties and response to temperature and humidity.