Being able to make the Lego bricks of tomorrow

Nowadays, plastics, also known as polymers, can now be used to produce nearly everything – in particular if different polymers can be suitably combined with each other. Such copolymers make it possible to specifically control material properties. To enable the leading chemists and computer scientists of tomorrow to produce and investigate such copolymers in an even more targeted and effective way, they need IT and robotics skills combined with chemical expertise. This knowledge will be imparted to early career researchers in a new Research Training Group at the Universities of Jena and Bayreuth, which was announced by the German Research Foundation (DFG) today (18 November). The Research Training Group "COIN – Copolymer Informatics: Blending digital technologies and copolymer chemistry – From design to application" will be funded by the DFG from next year with over five million euros for an initial period of five years.

One well-known example of copolymers are the Lego bricks, familiar from most children's rooms. The ideal polymer mix already exists for these, but many other products could be improved or newly created by the application of copolymers: This ranges from medicine to packaging and transport. "For enabling new technologies, science and industry need polymer chemists who have been trained at the highest level," says Prof. Dr Ulrich S. Schubert from the University of Jena. "However, the use of computer science, machine learning and robotics in polymer research is currently still very limited," says the future spokesperson for the Research Training Group. "The COIN Research Training Group therefore aims to teach computer science methods so that young chemists and engineers are familiar with research data handling are ideally prepared to manage large data volumes in order to make them usable for IT," explains the deputy spokesperson for the Research Training Group, Prof. Dr Holger Ruckdäschel from the University of Bayreuth. Computer science graduates can also take part in the new programme. They will receive training in (polymer)chemistry. Robotics will be a focus of the new Research Training Group as well, as many automated experiments – such as the synthesis of polymers – can already be carried out by robots. However, experts and robots are still working alongside each other rather than with each other. Consequently, the new Research Training Group aims to deepen the human-machine interaction. All of this should enable the targeted linking of synthesis, processing and properties of copolymers.

Interdisciplinary and international training

To achieve this goal, the expertise in the subject areas of synthesis, analytics, polymer chemistry, theoretical chemistry, engineering, Computer Science and robotics of the two leading German polymer science centres will be pooled in the new programme. "The participating doctoral candidates will receive a high degree of interdisciplinary training in polymer informatics, enabling them to communicate between the disciplines and find new ways of conducting research," emphasises Prof. Schubert and adds: "COIN is the result of the Joint Lab for Polymers Jena-Bayreuth"External link.

The training will take place in hybrid form, both on site and digitally, with joint events such as conferences and summer schools. The doctoral candidates will also be involved in interdisciplinary projects at both locations. The short distance between Jena and Bayreuth will enable a constant exchange between the researchers.

The Research Training Group will offer 15 positions for doctoral candidates in the first five-year phase – a further four-year phase is possible following a successful evaluation. 18 or more doctoral candidates will be able to participate in the training programme as associate members during the first phase.

All junior staff will undergo practical courses in addition to their scientific training: The young computer scientists will go into chemistry labs and perform experiments, while the chemistry specialists will (co-)develop (ML)programmes. There will also be the opportunity to work in industry or abroad for up to six months as part of their doctorate.