Researchers use robots to produce advanced materials

A Rutgers-led team of engineers has developed an automated way to produce polymers, making it much easier to create advanced materials aimed at improving human health.

The innovation is a critical step in pushing the limits for researchers who want to explore large libraries of polymers, including plastics and fibres, for chemicals and biological applications such as drugs and regenerative medicine through tissue engineering.

A human researcher is only able to make a few polymers a day, whereas the new automated system, featuring custom software and a liquid-handling robot, can create up to 384 different polymers at once.

Adam J Gormley, Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering in the School of Engineering at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, said: “Typically, researchers synthesise polymers in highly controlled environments, limited the development of large libraries of complex materials.”

“By automating polymer synthesis and using a robotic platform, it is now possible to rapidly create a multitude of unique materials.”