Master's degree Bio-Inspired Materials (BIM)
ECTS
120 credits
Duration
2 years
Component
Collège Sciences et Technologies pour l’Energie et l’Environnement (STEE)
Language(s)
English
Presentation
The BioInspired Material (BIM) program offers an educational background connecting the laboratory environment with the living world to tackle ecological and sustainable transitions. However, mimicking strategies elaborated by Nature represents infinite scientific and technological challenges. These will be addressed using bioinspiration and biomimicry keeping in mind environmental awareness and ethics.
We hence offer our students a unique opportunity to explore and get inspired by living systems to develop novel materials. Our bioinspired approach focuses on cross-disciplinary lectures and trainings that will make students reconsider how they elaborate syntheses, formulations, and processing of tomorrow’s materials as needed by the industrial partners to build our future society.
The teaching program, comprising lectures, tutorial and practical work, as well as case studies, is primarily centered around student-based teaching pedagogical methods including project-based learning. Entirely in English, teaching is performed by university professors and researchers as well as socio-professional stakeholders. The practical works and case studies take place in the laboratories of the Institute of Analytical Sciences and Physico-Chemistry for Environment and Materials (IPREM) https://iprem.univ-pau.fr/en/institute.html. Through this approach, we wish to develop the student’s soft skills to encourage autonomy and stimulate curiosity, creativity, and emotional intelligence. The primary objective is to train future young researchers with special know-how in collaborative thinking and able to drive bio-inspired research projects.
The first year’s program is common with CM2E (Chemistry of Materials for Energy and Environment, see dedicated page). BIM and CM2E are separate in the second year, which should be anticipated by the choice of proposed options.
12 students
Student capacity
Objectives
-
- Prepare students at an advanced specialized level to meet present and future challenges by adopting the biomimicry philosophy
- Obtain basic and requisite knowledge in physics, chemistry, and biology
- Raise curiosity and inspire respect for living systems
- Develop environmental awareness
- Develop collaborative and open working skills
- Adhere to the principles of the living world in their scientific approach
- Adopt a biomimetic approach with materials from concept to development
- Develop engineering research skills to engage in quality and successful research,
- Prepare students for leading positions in industry and government Research and Development departments
Your university
Skills
At the end of this program, the students in the “Bio-Inspired Materials” master’s program will be able to:
- Prepare innovative bio-inspired materials,
- Use surface and volume analytical techniques to achieve a sound command of materials characterization,
- Validate, interpret and model experimental results,
- Write a report and communicate appropriately with experts,
- Produce quality research,
- Carry out a research project.
Additional information
Organisation
Practical courses are carried out in the Institute of Analytical Sciences and Physico-Chemistry for Environment and Materials (IPREM), hosting cutting-edge scientific equipment.
Universal adjustments
The UPPA offers study and examination accommodations for students with special status or specific constraints in order to promote their success.
Find out more about possible adaptations
Trainings
Intership | Mandatory |
|---|---|
Intership duration | 4-6 months |
The traineeship can be performed in academic labs (usually IPREM, but also in other labs in France or abroad) or in industrial companies (in France or abroad). A minimum of 2 to 4 months in Master 1 is required, and 4 to 6 months in Master 2.
Program
Different kinds of materials and their properties
2 credits16,5hElaboration of materials 1
4 credits33hOrganic polymers
2 credits16,5hInorganic materials
2 credits16,5h
Environmentally sustainable chemistry
3 creditsEnvironmentally friendly design of materials
2 credits15hGreen chemistry
2 credits15h
Polymer science in the lab
2 credits40hBiomimetism
4 creditsModeling
4 creditsLanguage to choose
2 creditsChoice: 1 among 2
English
2 creditsFrench for foreigner semestre impair
2 credits39h
Choice: 3 to 4 among 9
Magnetic properties of materials
2 creditsCharacterization methods 1
2 creditsX-ray diffraction
2 creditsStructural analysis, scattering techniques
2 credits
Coupling experience and theory
2 creditsBiomimetic peptide self-assembly for functional materials
2 creditsCell Biology
2 creditsBiomimetism introduction and awarness
4 creditsCorporate world
2 credits15hProjects managment and intellectual property
2 credits15h
Composite materials 1
2 credits18hIntroduction to composite materials
1 credits9hMechanical properties of composite materials 1
1 credits9h
Intro to polymer physics
2 creditsMain polymer families and recycling
2 creditsElectrochemical kinetics
2 credits19,5h
Optional
Physical chemistry of macromolecular solutions
2 credits16,5hAcademic and industrial internship
5 creditsProject
1 creditsIndustrial or academic internship
3 credits
Materials chemistry in the lab
2 creditsCharacterization methods 2
6 creditsNuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)
2 creditsMicroscopies
2 credits18h
Elaboration of materials 2
4 creditsPolymer chemistry
2 creditsSol-gel chemistry
2 credits
Language to choose
2 creditsChoice: 1 among 2
English
2 credits15hFrench for foreigner semestre pair
2 credits
Choice: 4 to 5 among 9
Electronic properties of materials
4 creditsLi-ion battery project
2 creditsGlobal Climate change (Climate Economics, Risk, Anthropocene)
2 creditsProject Biomim'expo
2 creditsMaterial corrosion
2 credits16,5hElectronic and vibrational spectroscopies
2 creditsRemarkable properties materials
2 creditsTheoretical spectroscopy
2 creditsInorganic materials
4 credits33hMetals and alloys
2 credits16,5hCeramics
2 credits16,5h
Optional
Composite materials 2
1 creditsThermoset matrices
1 credits9h
Materials For Energy Storage And Conversion
4 creditsNew materials
4 creditsSurface Chemistry And Int
4 creditsMulti-Scale Description of Complex systems
4 creditsOptical Properties Of Materials
4 creditsLanguage to choose
2 creditsChoice: 1 among 2
English
2 credits19,5hFrench for foreigner
2 credits39h
Choice: 1 to 3 among 13
Methods And Techniques For Polymer-based Materials Synthesis
2 creditsNanomaterials : from the laboratory to the application
1 creditsPolymers and the environment
2 creditsNatural Polymers - Biomass Valorization
2 credits16,5h
Adhesion & Adhesives
4 credits34hTheoretical Chemistry and Spectroscopies (RCTF)
4 creditsTheoretical chemistry applied to the study of materials (RCT)
4 creditsPolymers for living systems
2 credits16,5hIntroduction to biological soft matter
2 credits16,5h
Imaging techniques for environmental samples and materials
2 credits18hIndustrial copolymers
1 creditsIndustrial copolymers
1 credits12h
Nanocomposites
1,5 creditsNanocomposites
1,5 credits13,5h
Nanomaterials
1,5 creditsNanomaterials
1,5 credits13,5h
Numerical methods
3 creditsQuantum reactivity
3 credits
Admission
Admission requirements
Requirements
- Applicants must hold at least a bachelor's degree in chemistry, biology, and physics for the Master 1 level.
- Applicants must hold at least a 4-year university level in chemistry, biology, and physics for the Master 2 level
In 2022-2023, the UPPA is opening a 5-year integrated Master’s/PhD program that provides research-intensive training in multiple fields, called the Graduate Program GREEN (GRaduate school for Energetic and Environmental iNnovation). Several courses of study taught entirely in English are part of this program. The Graduate Program GREEN is open to high-potential students from a variety of scientific backgrounds who have completed their undergraduate training with the highest honors. To be selected, candidates must explicitly indicate in their letters of motivation their desire to integrate the Graduate Program GREEN, providing reasons for why they wish to participate in this research-focused PhD-Track.
English Language requirements
- Applicants must be fluent in English, both in writing and speaking. An applicant whose native language is not English has to take a recognized international English test.
Minimum required score: CECRL B2 level in English
French Language Requirements
- None
How to apply
Target
International and French students
Tuition Fees and partial exemptions
Go to the Tuition fee page
The school partially exempts non-EU students from the differentiated fees for initial training enrolling in the Master's program.
Student capacity
Prerequisites
Requirements
- Applicants must hold at least a bachelor's degree in chemistry, biology, and physics for the Master 1 level.
- Applicants must hold at least a 4-year university level in chemistry, biology, and physics for the Master 2 level
And after
Further studies
Prospects for employment or further study
Sectors
• Chemistry
• Energy (photovoltaic, batteries, fuel cells, artificial photosynthesis ..)
• Environment (non-polluting materials, pollution control materials and storage…)
• Aeronautics (composite materials, surface treatments ...)...
• Building (thermal and sound insulating coatings ...)
• Cosmetics & life science
Fields
- Research and Development
Positions
- Project Manager
- Senior manager in design and development (design engineer)
- Senior manager in production (process engineer, production engineer)
- Senior manager responsible for quality operations or even production management
- Technical Director (R & D)
- Teacher-researcher (possible at the end of a doctorate.)
Professional insertion
Positions
- Research and Innovation Engineer, PhD students
- Project Manager
- Senior manager in design and development (design engineer)
- Senior manager in production (process engineer, production engineer)
- Senior manager responsible for quality operations or even production management