Month: August 2025

At the international NIR conference held at Auditorium della Tecnica (Rome, Italy; 8–12 June 2025), Anja Černoša shared ARCHI-SKIN results titled “Spectroscopic Analysis of Aureobasidium pullulans Biofilm for the Development of Living Coating for Architecture.” The contribution used FT-NIR and FTIR spectroscopy to compare A. pullulans biofilms across growth media, revealing media-dependent chemical signatures that will guide the design of living coatings for architectural applications. This work advances ARCHI-SKIN’s interdisciplinary goals across microbiology, spectroscopy, and materials science.

ARCHI-SKIN results were shared at Biofilms 11 – Interdisciplinary Momentum: Accelerating Biofilm Research and Innovation Across Boundaries (Cardiff, UK; 13–15 May 2025). Dr Anja Černoša presented the latest outcomes from the project. The ARCHI-SKIN contribution focused on near-infrared (NIR) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic analysis of Aureobasidium pullulans biofilms. The findings demonstrate a label-free, non-destructive way to track biofilm chemistry and maturation on different substrates, advancing our understanding of microbe–surface interactions. These insights will inform protocol refinement and guide upcoming experiments within the project’s broader effort to design next-generation, sustainable surface solutions, highlighting ARCHI-SKIN’s interdisciplinary work across microbiology, spectroscopy, and materials science.

MayaSat 1 is hitching a ride inside the Mission Possible capsule and is carrying a variety of unflown biosamples to orbit — and back — for retrieval and research. Among the samples is also the ARCHI-SKIN bioinspired fungal biofilm, developed at InnoRenew CoE.

As first and only clients to undertake such a study, this is the first of its kind to investigate the effects of space on engineered living materials.

The launch site: Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.

The project Bioinspired living skin for architecture (ARCHI-SKIN) has been selected as an example of a project contributing to the six priorities of the European Commission, specifically under the European Green Deal priority.

The European Research Council (ERC) funded ARCHI-SKIN project is featured in the section “Examples of EU-added value of ERC funded projects” in the Annual Activity Report 2024 of the European Research Council Executive Agency (ERCEA).

This recognition highlights the importance of fundamental research in addressing major societal challenges. ARCHI-SKIN is dedicated to developing a protective bio-coat made from engineered living materials.