Professor of Solid and Structural Mechanics at the University of Trento;
Professor of Materials Science at the Queen Mary University of London (part-time);
Visiting Professor at the University of Oxford.
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| Address: | Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Ambientale e Meccanica Università di Trento, via Mesiano, 77 I-38123 Trento (Italia) |
| Office location: | III piano, Stanza 328 |
| Tel: | +39 0461 282525 |
| Mob: | +39 338 6275625 |
| Fax: | +39 0461 282599 |
| E-mail: | nicola.pugno@unitn.it |
| Skype: | nicola.pugno |
Publications
Full list of publicationsSELECTED PAPERS
- A. Carpinteri, N. Pugno. Are the scaling laws on strength of solids related to mechanics or to geometry?, NATURE MATERIALS (2005), 4, 421-423.
- S.W. Cranford, A. Tarakanova, N. Pugno, M.J. Buehler. Nonlinear material behaviour of spider silk yields robust webs,
NATURE (2012), 482, 72-78. Cover Story and 18 pages of Supplementary
Information, DOI 10.1038/nature10739.
- P. H. Tan, W. P. Han, W. J. Zhao, Z. H. Wu, K. Chang, H. Wang, Y. F. Wang, N. Bonini, N. Marzari, N. Pugno, G. Savini, A. Lombardo, A. C. Ferrari. The shear mode of multi-layer graphene, NATURE MATERIALS (2012), 11, 294-300.
- J. Zang, Q. Wang, Q. Tu, S. Ryu, N. Pugno, M. Buehler, X. Zhao. Multifunctionality and control of the crumpling and unfolding of large-area graphene, NATURE MATERIALS (2013), 12, 321-325.
- S. Lin, S. Ryu, O. Tokareva, G. Gronau, M.M. Jakobsen, W. Huang, D.J. Rizzo, D. Li, C. Staii, N. Pugno, J.Y. Wong, D.L. Kaplan, M.J. Buehler. Predictive modelling-based design and experiments for synthesis and spinning of bioinspired silk fibres. NATURE COMMUNICATIONS (2015) 6, 6892.
- R. Meija, S. Signetti, A. Schuchardt, K. Meurisch, D. Smazna, M. Mecklenburg, K. Schulte, D. Erts, O. Lupan, B. Fiedler, Y.K. Mishra, R. Adelung, N. Pugno. Nanomechanics of individual aerographite tetrapods. NATURE COMMUNICATIONS (2017), 8, 14982.
- G. Nardone, J.O.-De La Cruz, J. Vrbsky, C. Martini, J. Pribyl, P. Skládal, M. Pešl, G. Caluori, S. Pagliari, F. Martino, Z. Maceckova, M. Hajduch, A. Sanz-Garcia, N. Pugno, G.B. Stokin, G. Forte. YAP regulates cell mechanics by controlling focal adhesion assembly. NATURE COMMUNICATIONS (2017), 8, 15321.
- F. Schütt, S. Signetti, H. Krüger, S. Röder, D. Smazna, S. Kaps, S.N. Gorb, Y.K. Mishra, N. Pugno, R. Adelung. Hierarchical self-entangled carbon nanotube tube networks. NATURE COMMUNICATIONS (2017), 8, 1215.
- I. Polishchuk, A.A. Bracha, L. Bloch, D. Levy, S. Kozachkevich, Y. Etinger-Geller, Y. Kauffmann, M. Burghammer, C. Giacobbe, J. Villanova, G. Hendler, C.-Y. Sun, A.J. Giuffre, M.A. Marcus, L. Kundanati, P. Zaslansky, N. Pugno, P.U.P.A. Gilbert, A. Katsman, B. Pokroy. Coherently aligned nanoparticles with a biogenic single crystal: A biological prestressing strategy. SCIENCE (2017), 358, 1294-1298.
- S. Elsharkawy, M. Al-Jawad, M.F. Pantano, E. Tejeda-Montes, K. Mehta, H. Jama, S. Agarwal, K. Shuturminska1, A. Rice, N.V. Tarakina, R.M. Wilson, A.J. Bushby, M. Alonso, J.C. Rodriguez-Cabello, E. Barbieri, A. del RÃo Hernández, M.M. Stevens, N. Pugno, P. Anderson, A. Mata. Protein disorder-order interplay to guide the growth of hierarchical mineralized structures. NATURE COMMUNICATIONS (2018), 9, 2145.
- D.G. Purdie, N. Pugno, T. Taniguchi, K. Watanabe, A.C. Ferrari, A. Lombardo. Cleaning interfaces in layered materials heterostructures. NATURE COMMUNICATIONS (2018), 9, 5387.
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Disordered protein-graphene oxide co-assembly and supramolecular biofabrication of functional fluidic devices.
Nature Communications (2020), 11, 1182
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Conversionless efficient and broadband laser light diffusers for high brightness illumination applications.
Nature communications (2020), 11, 1437
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- Bio-Inspired and Nanoengineering Consulting @ University of Trento We have created a team of Engineers, Technologists, Scientists and Medical Doctors for finding ultimate solutions for High-Tech Industries.
Frontiers in Materials: Special Issues
- Covid-19: Materials Science and Engineering Challenges. Open call for abstract and manuscripts.
- Frontiers in Silk Science and Technology. Submissions closed.
- Frontiers in Materials: Rising Stars, 17 April 2020.
- Advances in Mechanical Metamaterials, 19 September 2018.
- New Frontiers in Multiscale Modelling of Advanced Materials, 14 December 2015.
Recent past and future invited lectures
- Invited speaker at the "2022 International Workshop on Multiscale Innovative Materials and Structures" (MIMS22), 29 September - 1 October 2022, Cetara, Italy.
- Opening plenary lecture at the 25th International Congress of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, 22-27 August 2021, Milano, Italy.
- Invited speaker at the first Gordon Research Conference on Silk Proteins and the Transition to Biotechnologies, 15-20 August 2021, South Hadley, MA, USA.
- Invited speaker at the meeting A cracking approach to inventing tough new materials: fracture stranger than friction organised by the Royal Society, 19-20 October 2020, London, UK.
- Invited speaker at the University of Oxford’s Department of Materials, 7 November 2019, Oxford, UK. Title of the keynote: "The Leonardo's legacy: Bio-Inspired Nanomechanics"
- Invited speaker at the Leonardo's legacy: past, present and future of made in Italy bioinspired machines workshop at the 2019 I-RIM Conference, organized in Commemoration of Leonardo da Vinci. Title of the keynote: "The Leonardo's legacy in the solid and structural mechanics: from the studies of Giuseppe Maria Pugno to my research on bioinspired nanomechanics", 19 October 2019, Rome, Italy.
- Invited speaker at the 8th International Conference on Carbon NanoParticle based Composites at the Queen Mary University of London, 17 July 2019. Programme.
- Silkene, invited lecture at "Le vie della seta" conference [in Italian], 27 November 2018, Rovereto, Italy. Programme [in Italian].
- Invited speaker at the Polytechnic of Turin workshop on PhD studies in Structural Engineering, 23 November 2018, Torino, Italy. Programme [in Italian]. Flyer [in Italian].
- Keynote speaker at TNT - Trends in Nanotechnology 2018, 3-7 September 2018, Lecce, Italy.
- Bionicomposites, keynote lecture at the 10th European Solid Mechanics Conference, 2-6 July 2018, Bologna, Italy.
- Bionicomposites, plenary lecture at The First International Conference on Materials, Mimicking, Manufacturing from and for Bio Application, 27-29 June 2018, Milano, Italy.
- Honorary and invited speaker at Jedrzey Sniadecki BioMedical Workshop (3rd edition), 4-5 June 2018, Bydoszcz, Poland. Programme.
- Frontiers in nanomechanics, Skype lecture at the UTP University of Science and Technology, 8 May 2018, Bydgoszcz, Poland. Flyer. Letter of appreciation.
- Invited speaker at RoboSoft 2018, The first IEEE-RAS International Conference on Soft Robotics, 24-28 April 2018, Livorno, Italy. Programme.
- ERC Project Bihsnam, invited presentation at the Transport Research Arena 2018, 16-19 April 2018, Wien, Austria.
- Bioinspired nanomechanics, seminar at the University of Ferrara, 23 March 2018, Ferrara, Italy. Flyer.
- Materiali bioispirati [in Italian], invited talk at I Venerdì dell'Universo, 23 March 2018, Ferrara, Italy.
- Mechanics of 2D materials and related 3D composites, lecture at the Winter School on structural characterization of graphene-based materials, 5-10 February 2018, Obergurgl, Austria. Flyer. Programme.
- Keynote speaker at the 7th International Conference on Mechanics of Biomaterials and Tissues, 10-14 December 2017, Hawaii, USA.
- Mechanics of 2d materials and related 3d composites at EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Graphene Technology, 23 November 2017, University of Cambridge, UK.
- Neurofibres: An interdisciplinary approach for spinal cord regeneration, talk (together woth PhD Student of the Lab Ilaria Corridori) at the workshop "NeuroSpine - Regeneration & ehabilitation in spinal cord injury", 16 November 2017, CNR-ITB, Segrate, Italy. Program.
- Bio-inspired products, talk at the Graphene Composite Innovation Day, 12 October 2017, Trento, Italy.
- Nanomateriali per la medicina [in Italian], talk at the workshop "La ricerca sulla lesione al midollo spinale", 6 October 2017, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy. Flyer. Program.
- Bio-inspired and graphene nanomechanics, invited talk at the University of Oxford, 13 July 2017, Oxford, UK.
- Horizon 2050: Super-materials for zero footprint, invited talk at the European Business Summit, 22-23 May 2017, Bruxelles, Belgium. Program. Picture.
- Viaggio verso marte: tecnologie, materiali e istruzioni per l'uso [in Italian], invited talk with Prof. Roberto Battiston at the VII Festa di Scienza e Filosofia, 29 April 2017, Foligno, Italy.
- Invited speaker at Graphene 2017, 28-31 March 2017, Barcelona, Spain. Flyer. Program.
- Extreme mechanics in nature, seminar at the Centre for Integrative Biology (CIBIO) of the University of Trento, 24 March 2017, Trento, Italy. Flyer.
- L'affascinante mondo dei materiali bioispirati [in Italian], 20 February 2017, Liceo Prati, Trento, Italy.
- New materials could help medicine, talk at the H2020 FET Proactive NEUROFIBRES kick-off meeting, 30-31 January 2017, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, Toledo, Spain. Programme. Group picture.
- Concepts and bio-inspired materials for mobility, invited external plenary talk at the Pirelli Annual Material Meeting, 13 December 2016, Milano, Italy.
- Nano and bio-inspired extreme mechanics, lecture at the Nanoscience Laboratory kick off meeting, 25 November 2016, Trento, Italy. Flyer.
- Mechanics of 2d materials and related 3d composites at EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Graphene Technology, 15 November 2016, University of Cambridge, UK.
- On other (non meta) extreme materials investigated in Trento talk at the international workshop Advances in mechanical metamaterials, 10-11 October 2016, Trento, Italy.
- Invited speaker at Beilstein Nanotechnology Symposium 2016, 27-29 September 2016, Potsdam, Germany. Programme. Group picture.
- Plenary lecture on Supercomposites for Automotive at ICAutoC 2016 International Conference on Automotive Composites, 21-23 September 2016, Lisboa, Portugal.
- Invited speaker at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 27 July 2016, Daejeon, South Korea. Flyer.
- Workshop at 1st International Symposium on Biotremology, 5-7 July 2016, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Italy. Flyer. Programme.
- Forum Super materiali biologici o bio-ispirati, 31 May 2016, Parco della Fondazione E. Salvadori-Zanatta, Meano, Italy. Higlight in Trentino (hard copy) [in Italian].
- Ispirazioni dalla natura: come nasce un biomateriale at Pint of Science 2016, 23 May 2016, Cafè de la Paix, Trento, Italy. Higlight in Corriere del Trentino e L'Adige [in Italian]
- Mechanics of 2d materials in 3d composites at 2nd Sino-Italian Workshop on Graphene and Related 2D Materials, 23-24 April 2016, Genova, Italy.
- Nanomeccanica e Bioispirazione, Seminari Carlo Emanuele e Maria Rosa Tiscornia, Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Chimica e Ambientale, Università di Genova, 20 April 2016, Genova, Italy.
- Invited talk at REDS2ALPS, 28-30 January 2016, Bolzano, Italy. Flyer 1. Flyer 2. Programme. UNITN Press Release. Interview.
- Destinazione Marte: osare con nuovi materiali bioispirati invited talk with Roberto Battiston, President of the Italian Space Agency, at TEDxTrento 2015, 28 November 2015, Teatro Sociale, Trento, Italy. Highlight on web: Trentino [1] [2], La Voce del Nord Est. Highlight on newspapers: Trentino [1] [2] [3], Corriere del Trentino [1] [2], Vita Trentina, L'Adige. Flyer. Video.
- Invited talk on Aerospace Related Materials at NanotechItaly 2015, 25 November 2015, CNR Bologna, Italy.
- Mechanics of 2d materials and related 3d composites at EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Graphene Technology, 11 November 2015, University of Cambridge, UK.
- Invited talk at XI Convegno Nazionale Materiali Nanofasici, 26-28 October 2015, CNR Roma, Italy.
- Invited talk at Milano Montagna, 8-10 October 2015, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano (Italy).
- Invited talk on Nanomechanotribology at NanoItaly 2015, 22 September 2015, Università La Sapienza, Roma, Italy.
- Invited talk at NanomediCEN 2015, 21 September 2015, Milano, Italy.
- Invited lecture on Mechanics of 2D materials and 3D composites at GraphITA 2015, 14-18 September 2015, CNR Bologna, Italy. Programme. Nature events.
- Lecture on "The potential of bio-inspired materials in sports equipment" at the Doctoral Course The future of sports translating technology into performance, 7-11 September 2015, Politecnico di Torino, Torino, Italy.
- Invited talk at the Annual Meeting 2015 of the Young Academy of Europe, 7 September 2015, Darmstadt, Germany. Flyer.
- Scientific board and invited lecture at International Symposium on Nanoengineered Composites, 15-17 July 2015, Risø, Roskide, Denmark. Programme.
- From bioinspired to bionic materials at Webvalley 2015, 28 June 2015, San Lorenzo in Banale, Italy. Final presentation.
- La comunicazione della ricerca tra prospettive e linguaggi, 25 June 2015, Dipartimento di Scienze Congnitive, Università di Trento, Rovereto, Italy.
- Plenary lecture at Materiais 2015 - VII International Materials Symposium, 21-23 June 2015, Porto, Portugal. Invited speakers. Programme.
- Invited lecture for the ERC celebrations for 5000 funded grants and at the European Parliament, 16 June 2015, Solvay Library & European Parliament, Bruxelles, Belgium. ERC press release, ERC event page, UniTn press release (in Italian).
- Nanoingegneria at La Giornata Della Scienza Galileo Ferraris, 10 April 2015, Aula Magna Politecnico di Torino, Torino, Italy (~ 1400 students).
- Invited lecture: Nanomechanics of Biomaterials. At REDEOR - Unified scientific approaches towards regenerative orthopaedics and dentistry, 25-27 March , 2015, Italy.
- I supermateriali, Incontri Tematici at Collegio di Merito Bernardino Clesio, 24 March 2015, Trento, Italy. Interview.
- Mechanics of 2d materials and related 3d composites at EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Graphene Technology, 23 February 2015, University of Cambridge, UK. Slides of the course.
- Invited lecture at Graphene-based technologies, 20 February 2015, Queen Mary University of London, UK. Programme. Video of the presentation.
- Meccanica del grafene e dei suoi compositi at Grafene: le prospettive italiane, 6 February 2015, Università di Milano, Italy. Picture of the event
- Il rischio misconosciuto delle valanghe himalayane: scienza e esperienza si incontrano. Nicola Pugno, Silvio Mondinelli (alpinista himalayano) e Giulio Caresio (giornalista freelance), Milano Montagna, 16-18 October 2014, Milano, Italy. Programme - Press release 1 - Press release 2 - Picture - Interview
- Nanoscience and Nanotechnology 2014. Opening Plenary Lecture (via Skype). 6 October 2014, INFN, Frascati, Italy. Programme
- Invited speaker at 100th National Congress of the Italian Physics Society, 26 September 2014, Pisa, Italy. Programme
- Invited speaker at IED Square 2014, 22 September 2014, Milano, Italy.
- STAMM 2014, Lecture at the XIX Symposium on Trends in Application of Mathematics to Mechanics, 8-11 September 2014, Poitiers, France.
- Smart solutions from the Plant Kingdom: beyond the animal models - Superhydrophobicity in plants, ACCADEMIA DEI GEORGOFILI, 9 June 2014, Firenze, Italy.
- Super Materials, ImaLab lecture at Interpack 2014, 8-14 May 2014, Düsseldorf, Germany. Picture
- L'evoluzione odierna dell'arte della Meccanica di Leonardo, la Nanomeccanica, Festival di Scienza e Filosofia, 10-13 April 2014, Foligno, Italy.
- L’avvento della Nanomeccanica, ACCADEMIA NAZIONALE DEI LINCEI, 10 January 2014, Roma, Italy.
- The unacknowledged risk of himalayan avalanches triggering, 5TH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS MOUNTAIN SPORT AND HEALTH (MSH) 2013, 9-10 December 2013, Rovereto, Italy.
- Mechanics of graphene, nanoscrolls and composites for an optimal design in industrial applications., Invited speaker at REGINA 2013 - New challenges for REsearch on Graphene: from growth and state-of-the-art towards INdustrial Applications, 3-4 December 2013, Trieste.
- Invited Speaker at NanotechItaly2013, 27-29 November 2013, Venice.
- Lessons of Nanomechanics from Nature, 26 November 2013, Trento, Italy.
- Nanotecnology and Bio-inspired materials, Lecture at the European Academy of Bolzano, 21 November 2013.
- The sustainable link in a new approach between Europe and the Arab Nations, Round Table (including Nobel Laureate Mario J. Molina), 26 October 2013, Rimini, Italy.
- Invited lecture on Bioinspired Materials at 1st Euregio Research Cooperation Day, Highligth of Research at the University of Trento, 24-25 October 2013, Bolzano-Bozen.
- The “Egg of Columbus” For Making The World’s Toughest Fibres (Opening Lecture, via skype, at Nanoscience and Nanotechnology 2013, 30 September 2013).
- Graphene and bio-inspiration. 25TH ANNIVERSARY CONFERENCE OF THE ACADEMIA EUROPAEA (AE) (preliminary program), AE-LETTERS (for AE members elected in 2012 and Young AE members), Wroclaw, Poland, 16-19 September 2013.
- Prof. Pugno at the Annual Meeting of the Young Academy of Europe 2013
- I Super-materiali del domani. TEDxMilano2013 “Ieri, Oggi, Domani”, June 1, 2013, Piccolo Teatro Grassi, Milan, Italy.
- Tavola Rotonda sul progetto Grafene, con Andrea Ferrari, Vittorio Pellegrini e Nicola Pugno, moderata da Piero Bianucci. May 16, 2013, Salone del Libro, Turin, Italy.
- Biology inspired Supermaterials: from the Space Elevator to Spiderman, LAGRANGE LECTURE (N. 4), Magnus-Haus Berlin Am Kupfergraben, Tuesday, May 7, 2013, Berlin. The discussion will be chaired by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Eberhardt Scientific Director Magnus-Haus.
- I Fantastici 4 (nanomateriali), GIOVEDÌ SCIENZA, February 7, 2013, Teatro Colosseo, Turin, Italy.
- FALLING WALLS CONFERENCE: FUTURE BREAKTHROUGHS IN SCIENCE AND SOCIETY, 9 November 2012, Berlin, Germany. World class researchers present their "ideas that could dramatically transform life worldwide" (Scientific American) every 9 November in Berlin to an exclusive audience from science, business, politics, culture and society. Sponsorized also by ERC and Nature. See highlight on ERC Facebook Page
- Come costruire la tuta dell'uomo ragno, FESTIVAL DELLA SCIENZA, October 29 2012, Palazzo Ducale, Sala del Maggior Consiglio, Genoa, Italy.
- Plenary lecture on Nanomechanics of graphene at GRAPHEL, 27-30 September 2012, Mykonos, Greece.
- Designing nature-inspired super materials, in IdeasLab Harnessing Science with Nature Magazine (Facilitated by Dr. Campbell, Editor-in-Chief, Nature Magazine), WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM, 11-13 September 2012, Tianjin, China.
- From mind to market: energy materials (Facilitated by Dr. DiChristina, Editor-in-Chief, Scientific American), WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM, 11-13 September 2012, Tianjin, China.
- Fracture and adhesion of super-nanomaterials, 19th European Conference on Fracture, 26-31 August 2012, Kazan, Russia.
- The fantastic 4 (nanomaterials): graphene (the strongest), spider-silk (the toughest), gecko foot (the most adhesive) and lotus leaf (the most anti-adhesive). First International Conference on Mechanics of Nano, Micro and Macro Composite Structures, June 18-20, 2012, Turin, Italy.
- Chi tesse la tela dell’uomo ragno?, SETTIMANA DELLA SCIENZA, March 15 2012, Teatro del Popolo, Gallarate, Italy.
- I fantastici 4 (nanomateriali), Winner of "PREMIO GIOVEDÌ SCIENZA", March 7 2012, Teatro Colosseo, Turin, Italy.
- Chi tesse la tela dell’uomo ragno?, GIOVEDÌ SCIENZA, January 12 2012, Teatro Colosseo, Turin, Italy.
Movies
- Prof. Pugno talk at the Solvay Library for the celebration of the 5000th ERC Grantee, 17 June 2015, Bruxelles, Belgium.
- PLENARY LECTURE: FALLING WALLS CONFERENCE. FUTURE BREAKTHROUGHS IN
SCIENCE AND SOCIETY, 9 November 2012, Berlin, Germany.
Curriculum
Curriculum vitaeResearch topics
- Bio-inspired hierarchical super nanomaterials (e.g. self-healing)
- Super-strong graphene, nanotubes and related bundles and composites (e.g. flaw tolerant)
- Smart adhesion of insects, spiders and geckos and related gecko-inspired nanostructured surfaces (e.g. peeling theories)
- Self-cleaning & anti-adhesive super-hydrophobic leaves and related lotus-inspired nanostructured surfaces (e.g. anti-ice)
- Spider-silk and web and related spider-inspired super-tough materials and structures (e.g. anti-catastrophes)
- Design and fabrication of Nano Electro Mechanical Systems (e.g. nanotubes or graphene based)
- Hierarchical fibre bundle -or lattice spring- models, ropes, tissues and cellular solids (e.g. role of hierarchy)
- Graphene nanoscrolls and related systems (e.g. nanomotors)
- Nanomedicine: tumor cellular growth, nanovector therapeutics, scaffolds for the regenerative medicine (e.g. tumor cell dynamic resonances)
- Nanoindentation and related size- and shape-effects (e.g. universal scaling laws on hardness)
- Quantized Fracture Mechanics, in quasi-static, dynamic and fatigue regimes (e.g. role of defects in graphene)
- Nanoscale Weibull & Fractal Statistics and related size-effects on material strength (e.g. nanotubes statistics)
- Multiscale fragmentation under impact and explosions and structural dynamics (e.g. universal scaling laws on energy dissipation)
- Nanotribology (e.g. of graphene, biological or hierarchical surfaces)
- Bionicomposites (e.g. bionic silk spun by spiders fed with nanomaterials)
- Metamaterials (e.g. seismic shielding)
Adjunct Scientists
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All photos, images and videos in this website are original and property of the
Solid and Structural Mechanics Group of the University of Trento