The 4D-BIOMAP project was implemented through tightly connected activities that together delivered a disruptive technology for mechanobiological research, integrating advanced materials, magnetic actuation and computational modelling. The work can be grouped into three main blocks.
1. Magneto-active materials and manufacturing: Ultra-soft magnetorheological elastomers (MREs) and biologically derived magneto-active hydrogels were developed and comprehensively characterised under combined mechanical and magnetic loading, providing the most extensive dataset to date for such systems. These studies revealed previously unknown viscoelastic and magnetic-history effects arising from field-induced microstructural rearrangements, leading to enhanced and complex macroscopic responses. The project also introduced hybrid MREs, combining soft- and hard-magnetic particles to achieve both strong magnetorheological effects and remanent magnetisation. In parallel, a novel 4D printing strategy based on custom-designed direct ink writing hardware and software enabled the fabrication of multidomain and multimaterial magneto-active structures using reactive inks without chemical additives.
2. Modelling and optimisation frameworks: New constitutive and computational frameworks were developed to describe magneto-mechanical coupling, viscoelasticity and magnetic-history effects across multiple length scales, explicitly accounting for magnetic sources and surrounding media. In addition, topology and multimaterial optimisation tools were created to design structures with targeted magneto-mechanical responses. These models were validated against experiments and used to guide material design, manufacturing strategies and actuation protocols, with several tools released as open-source software.
3. Magneto-mechanical platform for mechanobiology: The central outcome of the project is a novel experimental-computational platform enabling remote, non-invasive, reversible and dynamically programmable control of complex deformation patterns in cellular and tissue substrates. The platform was successfully applied to study mechanotransduction in brain cells, cancer models and three-dimensional hydrogels, demonstrating how controlled mechanical cues regulate cellular structure and function, supported by dedicated computational models for experimental design and interpretation.
*Exploitation and dissemination: Project results have been disseminated through high-impact publications, invited talks and open-source software. Key technological outcomes were protected by patents and recognised through innovation programmes, leading to two ERC Proof of Concept grants, an EIC Transition project and the creation of the spin-off 60Nd S.L. which is commercialising the developed technology. The project was also actively communicated to society through press releases, media interviews, laboratory open days and outreach activities.
