Roadmap for animate matter
Journal of Physics Condensed Matter, vol. 37, pp. 333501
Abstract
Humanity has long sought inspiration from nature to innovate materials and devices. As science advances, nature-inspired materials are becoming part of our lives. Animate materials, characterized by their activity, adaptability, and autonomy, emulate properties of living systems. While only biological materials fully embody these principles, artificial versions are advancing rapidly, promising transformative impacts in the circular economy, health and climate resilience within a generation. This roadmap presents authoritative perspectives on animate materials across different disciplines and scales, highlighting their interdisciplinary nature and potential applications in diverse fields including nanotechnology, robotics and the built environment. It underscores the need for concerted efforts to address shared challenges such as complexity management, scalability, evolvability, interdisciplinary collaboration, and ethical and environmental considerations. The framework defined by classifying materials based on their level of animacy can guide this emerging field to encourage cooperation and responsible development. By unravelling the mysteries of living matter and leveraging its principles, we can design materials and systems that will transform our world in a more sustainable manner.
Authors 39
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University College London · University of Gothenburg
Affiliation as printed
Department of Chemistry, University College London 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom
Department of Physics, University of Gothenburg SE-41296 Gothenburg, Sweden
Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
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University of Lisbon · Centro de Física Teórica e Computacional
Affiliation as printed
Centro de Física Teórica e Computacional, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
Departamento de Física & Centro de Física Teórica e Computacional, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, 1749-016, PORTUGAL
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Materials Science and Physical Chemistry, Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, University of Barcelona 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Department of Materials Science and Physical Chemistry, University of Barcelona, Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Barcelona, Catalonia, 08028, SPAIN
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London London, United Kingdom
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
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Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université de Bordeaux · Centre de recherche Paul Pascal
Affiliation as printed
University of Bordeaux-CNRS, Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal UMR 5031, 115 Avenue du Dr Albert Schweitzer, 33600 Pessac, France
University of Bordeaux-CNRS, Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal, UMR 5031, 115 Avenue du Dr. Albert Schweitzer, Pessac, 33600, FRANCE
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Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université de Bordeaux · Centre de recherche Paul Pascal
Affiliation as printed
University of Bordeaux-CNRS, Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal UMR 5031, 115 Avenue du Dr Albert Schweitzer, 33600 Pessac, France
University of Bordeaux-CNRS, Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal, UMR 5031, 115 Avenue du Dr. Albert Schweitzer, Pessac, 33600, FRANCE
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Affiliation as printed
Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde Cathedral Street, Glasgow, G1 1BX, United Kingdom
University of Strathclyde, Cathedral Street, Glasgow, G1 1XQ, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
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Istituto di Nanotecnologia · National Research Council · Sapienza University of Rome
Affiliation as printed
Department of Physics, 'Sapienza' University of Rome Rome 00185, Italy
Soft and Living Matter Laboratory, NANOTEC-CNR, Institute of Nanotechnology Rome 00185, Italy
Dipartimento di Fisica, Sapienza Università di Roma, -, Rome, 00185, ITALY
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Istituto di Nanotecnologia · National Research Council · Sapienza University of Rome
Affiliation as printed
Department of Physics, 'Sapienza' University of Rome Rome 00185, Italy
Soft and Living Matter Laboratory, NANOTEC-CNR, Institute of Nanotechnology Rome 00185, Italy
Soft and Living Matter Laboratory, -, Rome, 00185, ITALY
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Institute of Science and Technology Austria
Affiliation as printed
Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) Klosterneuburg, Austria
Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), -, Klosterneuburg, -, AUSTRIA
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Institute of Science and Technology Austria
Affiliation as printed
Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) Klosterneuburg, Austria
Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), -, Klosterneuburg, -, AUSTRIA
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Affiliation as printed
Blackett Laboratory, Department of Physics, Imperial College London London, United Kingdom
Department of Physics, Imperial College London, Blackett Laboratory, London, SW7 2AZ, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
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Affiliation as printed
Blackett Laboratory, Department of Physics, Imperial College London London, United Kingdom
Department of Physics, Imperial College London Faculty of Natural Sciences, Blackett Laboratory, London, SW7 2AZ, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
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Affiliation as printed
Blackett Laboratory, Department of Physics, Imperial College London London, United Kingdom
Department of Physics, Imperial College London, Blackett Laboratory, London, SW7 2AZ, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
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Affiliation as printed
CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials, University of Aveiro Chemistry Department, Complexo de Laboratórios Tecnológicos, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, Aveiro, 3810-193, PORTUGAL
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Affiliation as printed
CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
CICECO, University of Aveiro Chemistry Department, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, 3810-193, PORTUGAL
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Physics, University of Gothenburg SE-41296 Gothenburg, Sweden
Physics, University of Gothenburg, Origovägen 6B, Gothenburg, 412 96, SWEDEN
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Physics, University of Gothenburg SE-41296 Gothenburg, Sweden
Physics, University of Gothenburg, -, Gothenburg, SE-41296 , SWEDEN
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool Oxford Street, Liverpool L69 7ZE, United Kingdom
Department of Physics, University of Liverpool Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZD, United Kingdom
Department of Physics, Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, -, Liverpool, L69 3BX, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
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Affiliation as printed
Physics Department, Syracuse University Syracuse, NY 13244, United States of America
Syracuse University, -, Syracuse, 13244-1100, UNITED STATES
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Affiliation as printed
The BioRobotics Institute and Department of Excellence in Robotics & AI, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies Pisa, Tuscany 56025, Italy
Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, -, Pisa, 56127, ITALY
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, -, Pittsburgh, 15213-3815, UNITED STATES
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Carnegie Mellon University, -, Pittsburgh, 15213-3815, UNITED STATES
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Carnegie Mellon University · Zhejiang University
Affiliation as printed
Human-Computer Interaction Institute, Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Zhejiang University, -, Hangzhou, 310058, CHINA
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University of California, Berkeley
Affiliation as printed
Morphing Matter Lab, Mechanical Engineering, UC Berkeley Berkeley, United States of America
UC Berkeley, -, Berkeley, California, 94720, UNITED STATES
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Biomaterials and Biomolecular Systems, University of Stuttgart Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, Stuttgart, 70569, GERMANY
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Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université de Bordeaux · Laboratoire Ondes et Matière d'Aquitaine
Affiliation as printed
University of Bordeaux, CNRS, LOMA, UMR 5798 F-33400 Talence, France
University of Bordeaux, CNRS, LOMA, UMR 5798, -, Talence, F-33400, FRANCE
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Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université de Bordeaux · Laboratoire Ondes et Matière d'Aquitaine
Affiliation as printed
University of Bordeaux, CNRS, LOMA, UMR 5798 F-33400 Talence, France
University of Bordeaux, CNRS, LOMA, UMR 5798, -, Talence, F-33400, FRANCE
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Institute of Physics · University of Amsterdam
Affiliation as printed
University of Amsterdam, Institute of Physics, Science Park 904 1098 XH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
University of Amsterdam Institute of Physics, Science Park 904, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, 1098 XH, NETHERLANDS
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Leiden University · Institute for Atomic and Molecular Physics
Affiliation as printed
AMOLF, Science Park 104 1098 XG, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Huygens-Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratory, Universiteit Leiden PO Box 9504, Leiden 2300 RA, The Netherlands
Universiteit Leiden, PO Box 9504, Leiden, 2300 RA, NETHERLANDS
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Georgia Institute of Technology
Affiliation as printed
School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, GA 30332, United States of America
Georgia Institute of Technology, -, Atlanta, 30332-0002, UNITED STATES
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Georgia Institute of Technology
Affiliation as printed
School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, GA 30332, United States of America
Georgia Tech, -, Atlanta, 30332-0002, UNITED STATES
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Georgia Institute of Technology
Affiliation as printed
School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, GA 30332, United States of America
School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0430, USA, Atlanta, Georgia, GA 30332, UNITED STATES
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University of Konstanz · Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior
Affiliation as printed
Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Postbox 687, Universitätsstraße 10 78464 Konstanz, Germany
Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Universitätsstraße 10, 78464, Konstanz, Germany
Universität Konstanz, -, Konstanz, 78457, GERMANY
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National Research Council · Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies
Affiliation as printed
Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, Italian National Research Council Via Gian Domenico Romagnosi 18, 00196 Rome, Italy
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, -, Roma, 00185, ITALY
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University College London · University of Gothenburg
Affiliation as printed
Department of Chemistry, University College London 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom
Department of Physics, University of Gothenburg SE-41296 Gothenburg, Sweden
Department of Physics, University of Gothenburg, -, Goteborg, 405 30, SWEDEN
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Affiliation as printed
The Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London London, United Kingdom
University College London, -, London, WC1E 6BT, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
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Affiliation as printed
Eastman Dental Institute, University College London London, United Kingdom
Microbial Diseases, University College London Eastman Dental Institute, -, London, -, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Architecture, Campus Sint-Lucas, KU Leuven Ghent, Belgium
Department of Architecture, Campus Sint-Lucas, -, Ghent, -, BELGIUM
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