State-of-the Art Conference: Magnetically Stimulated Soft Materials

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Non-Technical: This award by the Biomaterials program in the Division of Materials Research to University of Georgia is to support students and faculty members to attend the conference titled "State-of-the art conference: Magnetically stimulated soft materials" in Athens, Georgia. This award is cofunded by the Particulate and Multiphase Program (ENG/CBET). The focus of this two-day symposium is on biomaterials that combine two or more functionalities when at least one of them is sensitive to remotely generated magnetic signals that trigger changes. The symposium builds upon earlier successful conferences. This conference is expected to provide the mechanism for the exchange of ideas and the generation of new approaches and technologies in such areas as smart biomaterials, fibers and textiles, microactuators, sensors, drug delivery systems, and biomedical materials and devices. The broader impact goal of this proposal is to increase the participation of students and underrepresented minority students in science and engineering areas. The conference format will provide students with various opportunities to attend state-of-art lectures by top scientists and meet with them, communicate and present their results, and participate in discussions in the conference rooms, during poster sessions, and conference breaks.Technical: This conference aims at binding a number of recently opened possibilities to generate functional biomaterials that combine two or more functionalities when at least one of them is sensitive to remotely generated magnetic signals that trigger changes and responses in soft biomaterials. Remotely controlled materials promise a number of applications, specifically at the microscopic scale. Homogeneous external fields provide energy sources that are sufficient to overcome thermal fluctuations and align building blocks in a broad range of dimensions from a few nanometers to micrometers. Since this field would greatly benefit from multidisciplinary interactions from chemists, biologists, physicists, and engineers, the main goal of this conference would be to create a technical and professional environment in which participants from diverse disciplines could interact. This conference is designed to discuss recent trends and activities related to magnetically activated soft materials and initiation of future collaborations among the attendees. These soft materials are unique materials, properties of which could be controlled, transported and imaged using external fields. The following specific topic areas will be highlighted at this conference: a) spintronics; b) ferrofluids and microfluidics; c) polymer and polymeric composite systems and devices; d) self-assembly, nanomanufacturing and microstructures; e) biomedical applications and drug delivery; and f) career and professional development opportunities for students.