A Slovenian research institute becomes an innovative force in microbe–surface interactions
Understanding the interactions at the interface between two different materials plays a critical role in material design in fields ranging from aerospace to biomedicine. Whether the material interacts with a solid, a liquid or a gas or with biological systems such as microbes or tissues, understanding and controlling surface interactions is paramount to the material's performance, safety and reliability. The Jožef Stefan Institute, Slovenia's leading scientific research institute, is creating an innovation hub to study microbe–surface interactions with the support of the EU-funded SurfBio project. Using high-tech methodologies and equipment, researchers plan to support material designers, biotechnology researchers, academic institutions, industry and policy makers with research services and assessments to optimise novel materials for a variety of applications.