University of Göttingen Biophysicist Secures Volkswagen Foundation Grant to Develop Synthetic Smart Gels Based on Cellular Mechanics

Professor Timo Betz receives 950,000 Euros to develop smart gels that copy cellular self-healing and adaptation for the next generation of synthetic materials.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 1, 2026, 4:52 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from University of Göttingen

Bridging the Gap Between Biology and Material Science

A pioneering research project at the University of Göttingen is set to redefine the boundaries between living systems and synthetic matter. Professor Timo Betz, a biophysicist within the Faculty of Physics, has secured significant backing from the Volkswagen Foundation to explore how the mechanical behaviors of cells can be replicated in non-living substances. This initiative, titled "From Cells to Smart Gels: Momentum in Motion," focuses on the inherent ability of biological entities to adapt, self-organize, and respond to environmental stimuli, traits that have been refined through billions of years of evolution.

The Mechanics of Cellular Adaptation and Survival

Living cells are remarkably resilient, capable of processing mechanical forces and even self-healing when damaged. Historically, scientists have studied these processes by simplifying biological systems, removing components to observe how the remaining parts function under stress. This reductionist approach has provided deep insights into how immune cells respond to threats and how metastatic cancer cells migrate through the body. However, researchers have reached a threshold where further simplification destroys the very life they seek to understand, prompting a shift toward reconstruction rather than deconstruction.

Engineering Synthetic Cytoplasm Through Electromagnetic Fields

The core of the new research involves recreating the properties of the cell’s interior, or cytoplasm, using jelly-like synthetic substances such as soft colloids and polymers. By utilizing electromagnetic fields as an external energy source, Betz intends to mechanically drive these materials to mimic the active, self-organizing nature of a living cell. This "smart gel" would represent a new state of matter that does not merely sit inertly but reacts dynamically to its surroundings, effectively functioning as a synthetic analog to the complex fluid that powers all cellular life.