Logo of MATERA Biomimetic Materials Lab on a black background

Translating biological intelligence into engineered material systems.

Overview

MATERA® is the biomimetic materials platform of YOHOLIFE LAB, dedicated to transforming biological adhesion, structure, and resilience mechanisms into controllable, reproducible, and industrially deployable material technologies.

By combining biomimetic design principles with synthetic biology and process engineering, MATERA® bridges natural function and engineered performance — enabling next-generation protein-based materials beyond the limits of traditional extraction.

Core Capabilities

Biomimetic Protein Engineering

MATERA® develops protein systems inspired by natural functional motifs, translating biological adhesion and structural logic into controllable molecular designs.

Functional Optimisation

We tune material performance — including adhesion strength, stability, and interaction behaviour — through sequence design, expression control, and processing conditions.

Industrial Fabrication & Validation

Our systems are engineered with scale and reproducibility in mind, supported by performance testing, benchmarking, and application-oriented validation.

Key Project

Slide presenting information about Syn-MAP, a high-purity mussel adhesive protein biosynthesis and industrial fabrication system, with a background of ocean water.

High-Purity Mussel Adhesive Protein (MAP) Biosynthesis & Industrial Fabrication System

Syn-MAP® is the flagship project of the MATERA® platform, dedicated to the biosynthesis and industrial fabrication of high-purity mussel adhesive protein (MAP).

Natural mussel adhesive proteins exhibit exceptional adhesion in wet and dynamic environments, but are impossible to source at scale through natural extraction.
Syn-MAP® replaces natural harvesting with a fully engineered biosynthetic route, enabling controlled production, high purity, and consistent performance.

By integrating engineered protein expression with downstream fabrication and validation systems, Syn-MAP® establishes a scalable, reproducible biomimetic adhesion platform suitable for advanced material applications.

Platform Outputs

MATERA® delivers technology-ready material systems, including:

  • Engineered biomimetic protein materials

  • Defined fabrication and processing workflows

  • Performance and stability datasets

  • Application-ready material formats

  • Documentation supporting industrial transfer and scale-up

Applications

MATERA®-enabled materials support applications across:

  • Advanced biomaterials and medical technologies

  • Tissue adhesion and repair systems

  • Surface engineering and functional coatings

  • Protein-based material innovation in life-science and industrial contexts

Part of YOHOLIFE® LAB

MATERA® operates in close integration with YOHOLIFE LAB’s other platforms — from plant biotechnology to synthetic biology — forming a continuous pipeline from biological inspiration to application-ready material systems.