SMARTEN - Mechanical Properties of Soft Materials at the NanoScale programme INTER-EXCELLENCE, sub-programme INTER-COST
The aim of the project "Mechanical properties of soft materials at the nanoscale" is to contribute to the standardization of the measurement of mechanical properties of soft samples at the nanoscale, an area that has a huge potential for advances in the so-called bio-disciplines, with potential overlap to medicine, but also to other technologies. The project is proposed under the COST MecaNano program (European Network for the Mechanics of Matter at the Nano-Scale,CA21121). Soft materials, i.e., materials exhibiting Young's modulus of elasticity typically below 1 MPa, such as biopolymers, gels, and biological tissues, have unique mechanical properties that differ significantly from their hard material counterparts. Understanding these properties can open up new possibilities in a variety of fields, including biomedical engineering, materials science, and nanotechnology.
We are working on standardization of AFM and nanoindentation measurements of soft and hydrated samples with intention of making the outcomes openly available to the community and we need your help!
Our goal is to organize the inter-laboratory AFM or nanoindentation mechanical characterization of agarose hydrogel prepared by our standard operating procedure a compare the results obtained by different laboratories and different instruments. The goal is to verify the transferability of protocols across different laboratories and teams and evaluate the reproducibility of obtained Young’s modulus values of hydrogel sample. The obtained data will be available to the MecaNano community and subsequently published in compliance with Open/FAIR data policy.
Practical information:
Timetable:
EOI: 31 Jan 2026
Shipments of samples: week of 10 Feb 2026
Measurements: by 31 Mar 2026
Data submission: by 7 Apr 2026
Sample: Agarose hydrogel – the agarose will be shipped to cooperating teams to ensure the sample with same properties in all the included laboratories (possibility to also ship cantilevers if necessary).
Protocol for preparation of hydrogel and validation of its properties by turbidimetry is available here: https://shorturl.at/oVQ2x
Measurement requirements: Three hydrogel concentrations - measurement of three "biological" and three technical replicates of each hydrogel concentration.
Data sheet for obtained data available here: To be added.
Contact information: Jan Přibyl (jan.pribyl@ceitec.muni.cz), Jakub Máčala (macala@mail.muni.cz)
,
