Linda Elsner & Prof. Joanna Dauner

This workshop offers a practical introduction to designing and fabricating mono-material structures. The emphasis is on hands-on experimentation, allowing participants to customize structures using preset templates in Rhino and Grasshopper. This enables them to explore how different parameters affect the structures' properties. A variety of structures will be 3D printed and thermoformed to study their shape-shifting behaviour in response to mechanical stimuli. The workshop aims to introduce the method of research through design, experimental approaches to parametric design, material studies, and rapid prototyping.

Students will learn how to create and analyze smart materials by delving into the world of nanomaterials and exploring the use of DNA-origami to assemble tiny machines. The DNA origami technique lets us use DNA instead of paper. The structures that are folded from DNA are tiny — more than a thousand times smaller than the thickness of a human hair. But how do we know whether the origami has folded correctly? After building the DNA origami, we will carry out an experiment to find out if the folding was successful.

Moreover, students will explore hairy polymer surfaces as well as nanoparticles and their use for biosensing. The lectures will cover how we can make functional polymer surfaces and nanoparticles, with direct links to applications spanning physics, chemistry, and biology. In the lab students will learn about functional polymer surfaces for self-cleaning applications, anti-fogging glasses, and how the microscopy of nanoparticles is used for nanomedicine.

Planned lectures and lab work:

1)    Developing Functional Polymer Surfaces and Nanoparticles - Probing Physics to Biology, Quinn Besford, 10th September

2)    How we can use DNA to assemble tiny machines and smart materials, Elisha Krieg, 11th September

3)    Hairy Surfaces: From Interactions to Colorimetric Biosensing, Ilka Hermes and Christian Rossner, 11th September

Students will explore the development of soft and flexible electrodes to control the brain-machine interface, aiming to restore functionality. Therefore, materials are used that are electrically conductive and biologically active, so that they can interact with cells and surrounding tissue and transmit information. Students will learn how such materials can be used in implantable devices to enable continuous monitoring and targeted treatment of neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s or epilepsy. Additionally, students will investigate the use of sweet materials in building homes for cells to rekindle regeneration in humans. In here sugar-based polymer networks are explained in detail and how they can be used to program morphogenic signals that control cell-fate decisions in order to treat severe diseases. Exemplary, it is shown how wound dressings with such polymer coatings can resolve excessive inflammatory processes to heal chronic wounds or mature functional neuronal networks (“minibrains”) are formed to explore neuronal diseases.

Planned lectures and lab work:

1)   Neuroprosthetics, Ivan Minev and Christoph Tondera, 10th September

2)    Sweet materials in building homes for cells, Passant Atallah and Uwe Freudenberg, 11th September

Many antibiotics are becoming less effective, leading to antibiotic resistance in bacteria. In this summer school, participants will learn about methods to combat bacteria using molecular swords. Specifically, we study how antibiotics work at the single cell level, examining cellular physiology, biochemical regulation, and molecular mechanisms. Our focus is on "old" antibiotic classes like aminoglycosides, beta-lactams, and quinolones. Each antibiotic class has distinct effects on bacteria. By understanding these effects, we aim to address antibiotic misuse and the associated resistance problem. Additionally, we use machine-learning techniques to identify and discover new classes of antibiotics that can help fight the antibiotic resistance crisis.

Planned lectures and lab work:

1)    Combatting Bacteria with Molecular Swords, Lars Renner, 11th September

Dr. Sabine Wurmehl

Single crystals are needed everywhere – in daily life as in science. As an example for the first case- no modern mobile phone is operational without silicon single crystals used for electronic chips. The latter case is complex- crystal growth is versatile in both material types and their related functionalities, but also with respect to their chemical composition and the best technique to grow them.
Imagine, an important part of your work is to open crucibles filled with, in best case, shiny or colorful, in any case beautiful single crystals. During this tour through the labs you will enjoy looking at some of our facilities, and small as very large crystals.

Dr. Silke Hampel

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are one of the most innovative allotropic carbon materials. Due to their unique properties such as very light weight, high stiffness and flexibility, high mechanical strength, good electrical and thermal conductivity, CNTs are used in a wide range of applications such as batteries, lightweight construction materials, functional textiles, wearable devices and increasingly in biomedical research. Innovative products are created by enhancing the properties of other materials. The problem is how to transfer the outstanding properties of individual CNTs to macroscopic materials. CNTs have to be tailored to the composite material in question by means of an ideal bond between the carbon surface and the material surface.
During this lab tour you will see some of our equipment, how we grow CNTs and the applications we are working on.

Dr. Andreas Winkler / Dr. Hagen Schmidt

Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) technology has emerged from an enabling technology in telecommunication into a versatile tool for sensing and actuation, even under extreme environmental conditions. At both very low and very high temperatures, where conventional technologies fail, self-sufficient wireless SAW sensors exhibit remarkable stability and reliability. Furthermore, SAW fluid actuation has revolutionized aerosol generation for e.g. demanding requirements in printing and mass-spectrometry, as well as delicate cell and particle sorting, offering precise control and efficiency in microfluidics.
Researchers of the groups “Surface Dynamics” and “Acoustic Microsystems” at IFW Dresden and within the IFW-led network SAWLab Saxony, investigate the unique mechanisms and possibilities of surface acoustic waves and other microacoustic wave modes, and make them applicable to real-world problems. Our R&D dedication and IFW Dresden's commitment to bridge the gap between academia and industry has led to groundbreaking discoveries in SAW technology; paving the way for their use in applications across different industries.

Dr. Danny Baumann

To understand and interpret important physical phenomena in solids and on their surfaces, experiments to investigate these phenomena are essential. The framework conditions required for these experiments are usually very technically demanding. For example, very low temperatures, high magnetic fields, or extreme pressures are usually required to manipulate effects such as superconductivity or other quantum mechanical effects.
The typical technologies used to generate these extreme parameters are presented together with some design approaches and an overview of available sensors and actuators. Finally, there will be an opportunity to see real experimental setups and quantum fluids such as superfluid helium during a lab tour.

Prof. Dr. Julia Hufenbach

Additive manufacturing (AM) enables the fabrication of geometrical-complex and near-net shaped components with a high degree of individualization, due to the layer-by-layer build-up of parts which are based on a digital model. Thus, AM offers new possibilities for lightweight design and/ or function integration, such as inner cooling channels which are highly attractive for tools and molds and cannot be efficiently realized by conventional processing routes. These technological advantages allow a faster transition from the design stage to the production of the final part, a reduction of manufacturing costs and an increase in material efficiency. Owing to its digitalized processing control, AM is a key-enabler in Industry 4.0 and has become an integral part of modern production concepts in various industrial sectors, e.g. aerospace, healthcare, energy and automotive. However, one of the key challenges is the lacking availability of high-performance materials adapted to AM processes.
During the lab tour, you will get insights in the working principles of two metal additive manufacturing technologies and the design of novel powders and wires customized for AM.

Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Kathrin Harre and Microplastic Research Group at HTWD

Microplastics are contributing to the pollution of our environment with consequences that are difficult to estimate. The European Commission has identified microplastics as a clear threat to public health and the environment, which will be addressed by the planned reforms of the Drinking Water, Groundwater and Water Framework Directives. This means that public and private organisations involved in water supply, water treatment, food production and water and groundwater protection will have to consider how to monitor microplastics. There are many other aspects that need to be considered when researching the issue of microplastics:

• Where do they come from?
• How do we prove that microplastics are present in an environmental sample?
• How do we know that they are microplastics?
• How is it that microplastics can be found in areas of the world where there are no people?
• Why is something so small so important?

These and many other questions are answered by the young researchers of the "SEMUWA" project at HTW Dresden. They have created various exhibits and experiments to show you how microplastics are created through abrasion, or a model water column in which the movement of fluorescent microplastic particles is visualised. You can also learn about solutions such as biodegradable films made from food industry waste. You can not only watch, but also take part yourself.