Research Areas

The unifying vision of the ICD capitalizes on CombiSci 's ability to unravel the complex relationships between the structure and function of materials, interfaces and devices. Massively parallel Combinatorial strategies for library design and high throughput screening are being developed and exploited to answer fundamental questions in catalysis, biomaterials, and nanomaterials. The capacity of CombiSci to interrogate large regions of parameter space at multiple length scales will uncover the threads that enable us to gain fundamental insights into processes that heavily challenge one-sample-at-a-time approaches. Our approach is in sharp contrast to the Edisonian and discovery-oriented use of Combinatorial strategies in drug design. By far, the best-known application of CombiSci has been in the pharmaceutical industry, the first market sector to use CombiSci in its search for new drugs. While drug candidates are tested by solution processes, materials characterization involves determination of properties like modulus or interfacial reactivity, demanding screening tools well beyond those in the drug discovery arsenal. Since advancements in this vital area await the development of new methods for library design and screening, the experimental aspects of these developments is a major focus area of the ICD.