WHAT IS [MB]²?
The IRTG [MB]² – Multidimensional Biomaterials – is an International Research Training Group (Internationale Graduiertenkolleg, GRK 3194) funded by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft – DFG). It brings together researchers from the University of Bayreuth (Germany), The University of Melbourne, Monash University, and Swinburne University of Technology (all in Melbourne, Australia) in a joint PhD training programme focused on innovative biomaterials science.
Biomaterials are central to modern medicine – from contact lenses and wound dressings to drug delivery systems and implants. The more sophisticated the clinical application the greater the demands for material complexity. [MB]² responds to this challenge by training young researchers in the full spectrum of skills needed for translational biomaterials research: from materials synthesis and surface engineering to biosensing, biofabrication, and tissue engineering.
RESEARCH VISION
The core research idea of [MB]² is the development of novel multidimensional biomaterials – materials defined not only by their chemistry, but also by their three-dimensional structure, hierarchical morphology, and defined (multi)functionality. The programme focuses on three interconnected topical research areas:
- Surface Specificity – engineering biomaterial surfaces that selectively interact with desired cell types while repelling pathogens
- Biosensing & Response – developing materials and tools that read out and respond to biological environments in real time
- Tissue Engineering – creating hierarchical three-dimensional scaffolds to guide cell growth, support vascularisation, and enable in situ tissue regeneration
These three areas are highly interconnected: surface properties influence cell behaviour, which must be sensed and monitored, and the resulting insights feed directly into scaffold design for tissue engineering applications.
WHY INTERNATIONAL?
The [MB]² partnership leverages decades of collaboration between Bayreuth and Melbourne. Building on a DAAD-funded Bayreuth-Melbourne Polymer/Colloid Network (2015–2022), the programme unites complementary expertise that spans the full disciplinary range needed for multidimensional biomaterials research: materials science, chemical and biomedical engineering, biophysics, pharmaceutical science, and cell biology.
All PhD students in [MB]² are embedded in both research environments, in Bayreuth and in Melbourne, and they can pursue a joint doctoral degree upon spending 12 months at the respective partner institution. This international mobility – supported by a Gateway Office of the University of Bayreuth in Melbourne – ensures that graduates emerge as truly internationally experienced researchers, ready for careers in academia, industry, and beyond.
FUNDING
[MB]² is funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) under grant number GRK 3194. The funding period runs from 1 February 2027 to 31 January 2032. Complementary funding for the Australian PhD students is provided by the partner universities (The University of Melbourne, Monash University, Swinburne University of Technology).