Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 22, 2026
12:19
Multi-Scale Modification of Metallic Implants With Pore Gradients, Polyelectrolytes and Their Indirect Monitoring In vivo
Published on: July 1, 2013
11.2K
Morphogenetic Metals through Topology-Driven Stiffness Changes and Electrochemical Activation.
Jungtaek Kim1,2, Yash Agrawal3,2, Zakaria Hsain4
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|October 31, 2025
Summary
Researchers developed a novel method to control metal properties at room temperature using electrochemistry. This allows metal lattices to adapt and change shape, mimicking biological morphogenesis with minimal energy input.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Mechanical Engineering
- Metamaterials
Background:
- Morphogenesis, the biological process of shape formation, is key to organism adaptation.
- Metals typically require high temperatures for atomic movement, limiting their adaptive capabilities.
- Existing adaptive materials are often soft, lacking the robustness of metals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To enable morphogenesis in metals at ambient temperatures.
- To develop a method for reversibly controlling metal lattice properties with low energy input.
- To create adaptive metal metamaterials with tunable mechanical characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing electrochemically activated topology changes in metal lattices.
- Switching between two distinct topological states within individual cells.
- Applying topology optimization to design metamaterials with extreme properties.
Main Results:
- Achieved programmable material moduli ranging from 1.1 MPa to 2.6 GPa.
- Demonstrated reversible, room-temperature electrochemical morphogenesis.
- Created metamaterials that switch between negative and positive Poisson's ratios.
Conclusions:
- Electrochemical topology changes offer a low-energy pathway for metal adaptation.
- This approach endows metals with organism-like adaptive characteristics.
- Provides a new method for designing advanced metal-based metamaterials.
Related Concept Videos
01:09Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift
In a population that is not at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the frequency of alleles changes over time. Therefore, any deviations from the five conditions of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium can alter the genetic variation of a given population. Conditions that change the genetic variability of a population include mutations, natural selection, non-random mating, gene flow, and genetic drift (small population size).Mechanisms of Genetic VariationThe original sources of genetic variation are mutations,...
01:33Bacterial Transformation
In 1928, bacteriologist Frederick Griffith worked on a vaccine for pneumonia, which is caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. Griffith studied two pneumonia strains in mice: one pathogenic and one non-pathogenic. Only the pathogenic strain killed host mice.Griffith made an unexpected discovery when he killed the pathogenic strain and mixed its remains with the live, non-pathogenic strain. Not only did the mixture kill host mice, but it also contained living pathogenic bacteria that...
02:08Gene Conversion
Other than maintaining genome stability via DNA repair, homologous recombination plays an important role in diversifying the genome. In fact, the recombination of sequences forms the molecular basis of genomic evolution. Random and non-random permutations of genomic sequences create a library of new amalgamated sequences. These newly formed genomes can determine the fitness and survival of cells. In bacteria, homologous and non-homologous types of recombination lead to the evolution of new...
02:08Gene Conversion
Other than maintaining genome stability via DNA repair, homologous recombination plays an important role in diversifying the genome. In fact, the recombination of sequences forms the molecular basis of genomic evolution. Random and non-random permutations of genomic sequences create a library of new amalgamated sequences. These newly formed genomes can determine the fitness and survival of cells. In bacteria, homologous and non-homologous types of recombination lead to the evolution of new...
01:26Transformation
Microbial communities are dynamic environments where cell lysis releases free DNA into the surroundings. Other cells can take up this extracellular DNA through a process known as transformation.When a cell incorporates this foreign DNA into its genome, resulting in genetic modification, the process is known as transformation. Cells capable of this process are termed competent. Competence can be natural, as observed in certain bacteria and archaea, or artificially induced in the...
01:26Evolutionary Processes in Microbes
Microbial evolution occurs rapidly due to short generation times and a variety of genetic processes, including horizontal gene transfer, mutation, recombination, and genetic drift. These mechanisms collectively enable microbes to adapt swiftly to changing environments.Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) allows genes to move between different species and occurs through three main mechanisms: conjugation, transformation, and transduction. Conjugation involves direct cell-to-cell contact for DNA...