Living Materials Laboratory:

Collaboration

Work with us!

Our expertise and state-of-the-art equipment support a wide range of research and development initiatives. We welcome collaborations with academic, industry, and government partners, whether through joint research efforts or by providing access to our specialized biomanufacturing, materials characterization, and fabrication facilities.

We offer three primary pathways for collaboration:

Sponsored Research Agreements

This is the most comprehensive engagement model, facilitated through our Office of Contracts and Grants. Projects are structured around a defined scope of work, including timelines, milestones, deliverables, and an agreed-upon budget. Sponsored Research Agreements are ideal for partners seeking in-depth collaboration over longer timeframes (typically 12-60 months).

Rate-Based Service Agreements (RBSA)

We provide technical services such as materials testing, analysis, and characterization through flexible, fee-for-service arrangements. This option is best suited for short-term projects, smaller budgets, or well-defined testing needs for developed products. RBSA contracts can typically be executed quickly. Note: Federal researchers, as well as University of Colorado students, faculty, and staff, may access our equipment at cost.

Gift Support

Philanthropic contributions can be directed toward specific projects or broader research areas. This type of support allows us the flexibility to pursue innovative ideas, respond to unexpected findings, and invest in training early-career researchers. Gift funding is particularly valuable for launching new initiatives or advancing promising concepts that are not yet ready for traditional funding mechanisms.

 

To explore collaboration opportunities or learn more about accessing our facilities, please contact Matt Fyfe, lab manager, to discuss further.

 

Available Equipment

  • SMS Discovery Dynamic Vapor Sorption Analyzer
  • Tecan Spark Microplate Reader
  • TA Instruments FOX200 Thermal Conductivity Analyzer
  • TA Instruments Q2000 Differential Scanning Calorimeter
  • Mastersizer 3000 Particle Size Analyzer
  • 100 L Industrial Plankton Photobioreactor
  • Sentro Tech Electric Bottom-Loading Box Furnace
  • Retsch Planetary Ball Mill
  • TA Instruments Discovery 5500 Thermogravimetric Analyzer
  • TAM Air Isothermal Calorimeter
  • Nicolet iS20 Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectrometer
  • Promega GloMax Plate Luminometer
  • CellInk Bio X Bioprinter

You can explore our external rates for use here. We also have access to a vast number of other instruments on campus which support our work including the CIESTMIMIC and COSINC shared facilities. .