BioPACIFIC MIP proud to host ASU's SM3 Center for a 2-day collaboration workshop

With the aim of nurturing innovation and advancing regional collaboration on sustainable materials, the recent 2-day workshop between Arizona State University's (ASU) Biodesign Center for Sustainable Macromolecular Materials and Manufacturing (SM3) and BioPACIFIC MIP illuminated a promising path forward for engagement across shared interests in research, innovation, and workforce development. BioPACIFIC MIP and SM3 share a steadfast commitment to the development of sustainable polymers and to the adoption of cutting-edge workflows to enable the translation of innovations from the bench-top to societal impact. The geographical proximity of the three parent institutions - UCSB, UCLA, and ASU - further accentuates the potential of this partnership to further catalyze the Western region of the US as a sustainability hub.

The visit of ASU students and faculty to the BioPACIFIC MIP facilities at UCSB marked the inception of a partnership aimed at tackling environmental challenges head-on. During the visit, both entities had the invaluable opportunity to showcase their cutting-edge research initiatives, share virtual and in-person tours of the facilities, and discuss shared academic interests such as additive manufacturing, high-throughput characterization, and in-operando process monitoring, as well as programmatic interest in education, industry-academic collaboration, and facility development.

From illuminating talks and posters to dynamic brainstorming sessions, the exchange of knowledge and expertise served as fertile ground for inspiration for upcoming Challenge Projects for cross-institutional teams. Furthermore, a commitment to standardizing protocols and practices across SM3 and BioPACIFIC MIP represents a fundamental step towards ensuring seamless research continuity and enhanced reproducibility that should benefit the BioPACIFIC MIP user base and the broader biomaterials community.