At the Center for Bioinspired and Architectured Materials (CBAM), researchers are decoding nature’s strategies to design materials that can sense, adapt, and respond to their surroundings. By blending different materials in innovative ways, we’re creating new substances that are lighter, stronger, and more efficient than anything we’ve known before.
Inspiration Behind the Science
Over millions of years, nature has perfected materials that are deceptively simple yet remarkably strong, like spider silk, tougher than steel, or seashells, which combine resilience with lightness. The secret behind these extraordinary materials often lies not in rare substances, but in how they’re intricately organized on microscopic scales. Inspired by these natural blueprints, scientists and engineers are pioneering a new wave of smart, sustainable materials.
NSF PREM Award
Cal State LA, in partnership with the University of California, Irvine, has been awarded a prestigious Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials (PREM) grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to advance research and education in the field of materials science.
Dynamic Partners
A three-year, $1 million grant fuels the groundbreaking collaboration between Cal State LA and UC Irvine’s NSF-funded Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC).
CBAM @ Cal State LA
NSF PREM Center for Bioinspired and Architectured Materials (CBAM) leverages the unique strengths of both Cal State LA and UC Irvine to drive scientific discovery and technological innovation in materials science and engineering while providing advanced research training to recruit, engage, and support students from diverse backgrounds.
Research Focus
The focus of CBAM’s research includes the design of advanced materials that mimic the complex and dynamic structures and functionalities found in nature for applications in energy, human health, and environmental sustainability.
Phone: (323) 343-4486
Email: [email protected]
Hours of Operation: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Office Location: Engineering & Technology (E&T) Building, Room A-313