Author: [email protected]

As part of an Erasmus+ teaching mobility at Stellenbosch University (South Africa), ARCHI-SKIN researcher Dr. Jakub Grzybek and Dr. Wojciech Pajerski delivered educational activities focused on bioinspired materials and emerging approaches to sustainable material design.
The course introduced students from the Department of Forest and Wood Science to concepts related to Engineered Living Materials (ELMs), highlighting how living systems can inspire the development of adaptive and environmentally integrated materials. Through interactive lectures and practical exercises, participants explored biological principles as a source of innovation for future material technologies.
The activity supported the dissemination of knowledge and research concepts relevant to the ARCHI-SKIN project while fostering international collaboration and knowledge exchange in the field of sustainable and bioinspired materials research.
The visit was hosted by Prof. Brand Wessels at Stellenbosch University.

We’re excited to launch our new project – STAR – Space Testing for Advanced Resilience of Engineered Living Materials 
Building on our ERC project ARCHI-SKIN, which developed living, bio-based coatings for architecture, STAR takes this concept a step further. After receiving an ERC Proof of Concept Seal of Excellence, the project is now supported by the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency (ARIS). 

In STAR, we explore how Engineered Living Materials (ELMs) perform under extreme space conditions – including microgravity, radiation, temperature fluctuations, and limited nutrients. By studying fungal biofilms and their ability to adapt and self-repair, we aim to understand how living materials can maintain functionality in unpredictable environments. These insights could help advance self-healing, sustainable materials for architecture – both on Earth and in future space applications.

Anna Sandak is serving as the collection’s Guest Editor for the Discover Materials journal from Springer Nature. This Collection will showcase cutting-edge research at the nexus of synthetic biology, nanotechnology, biomaterials, and artificial intelligence, spotlighting breakthroughs that advance the design, control, and application of engineered living materials.
Learn more about the collection and how to contribute:
https://link.springer.com/collections/dadicecbca

The scientific paper prepared by dr. Faksawat Poohphajai, Ana Gubenšek, dr. Anja Černoša, dr. Karen Butina Ogorelec, dr. Jakub Sandak and dr. Anna Sandak, InnoRenew CoE researchers, together with dr. Lauri Rautkari from Aalto University, has been selected by the Section Editor-in-Chief as an Editor’s Choice Article of the journal Coatings.
In the article “Bioinspired Living Coating System for Wood Protection: Exploring Fungal Species on Wood Surfaces Coated with Biofinish during Its Service Life,” researchers aimed to explore fungal species colonising surfaces exposed to natural weathering and assess the survival of A. pullulans on wood surfaces coated with Biofinish during its in-service period.
The Editor’s Choice selection highlights the high scientific quality, originality, and significant impact of the research, as well as its contribution to advancing sustainable and bioinspired wood protection systems.
Congratulations!

WARM WISHES FROM THE ELM LAB

They are called Engineered Living Materials and operate on the principle of “working with nature, not against it.”
The ARCHI-SKIN project is based on the research of these materials. It is funded by the European Research Council (ERC), and is developing a new class of bioactive, self-healing, and sustainable coatings inspired by fungal biofilms.
A breakthrough for the construction industry and the green transition. 

Dr. Jakub Grzybek, InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM researcher, attended the 5th international scientific conference “WOOD–SCIENCE–ECONOMY: Sustainable Solutions and Digitalization in the Forest-Wood Sector”, held 3-5 December 2025, in Poznań, Poland.

Dr. Grzybek presented the Archi-Skin project with the poster presentation titled “Beyond Traditional Coatings: Toward Engineered Living Materials for Architecture”. Co-authors of the poster are researchers Dr. Anja Černoša, Ana Gubenšek, Dr. Wojciech Pajerski, Dr. Ihab Malat and Dr. Anna Sandak from InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM.

At the conference, participants took part in a Horizon Europe networking session that enabled intensive individual exchanges with international attendees as well as discussions on project ideas and potential collaborations. They also visited Brzechwa, a producer of prefabricated wooden houses and carried out a field visit to the Oborniki Forest District (State Forests).

The conference was organized by Łukasiewicz – Poznań Institute of Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences and Industry Contact Point – Digital Transformation.