Signaling pathways in fungi offer a profound avenue for harnessing cellular communication and have garnered considerable interest in biomaterial engineering. Fungi respond to environmental stimuli through intricate signaling networks involving biochemical and electrical pathways, yet deciphering these mechanisms remains a challenge. In this review, an overview of fungal biology and their signaling pathways is provided, which can be activated in response to external stimuli and direct fungal growth and orientation. By examining the hyphal structure and the pathways involved in fungal signaling, the current state of recording fungal electrophysiological signals as well as the landscape of fungal biomaterials is explored. Innovative applications are highlighted, from sustainable materials to biomonitoring systems, and an outlook on the future of harnessing fungi signaling in living composites is provided.

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The self-assembly of materials driven by the inherent directionality of the constituent particles is of both practical and fundamental interest because it enables the fabrication of complex and hierarchical structures with tailored functionalities. By employing evaporation assisted self-assembly, we form opal-like structures with micro-sized magnetic superball particles. We study the structure formation of different superball shapes during evaporation of a dispersion droplet with in-situ small angle x-ray scattering with microradian resolution in the absence and presence of an external magnetic field. In the absence of a magnetic field, strong shape-dependent structures form as the water evaporates from the system. Applying a magnetic field to the droplet has a unique effect on the system; strong magnetic fields inhibit the growth of well-ordered assemblies due to the formation of out-of-equilibrium dipolar structures while lower magnetic fields allow particles to rearrange and orient without inhibition. In this work, we show how the superball assembly inside a droplet can be controlled by the magnetic field strength and the superball shape. The tunability of these parameters not only enables the controllable formation of macroscopic colloidal assemblies but also opens up possibilities for the development of functional materials with tailored properties on a macro-scale.@en

Colloidal particles, essential building blocks known since the 1800s, continue to captivate researchers. This thesis delves into their significance by investigating anisotropic particle design, shape-driven self-assembly, and enhancing magnetic colloids' role as active swimmers. It also introduces innovative methods for crafting anisotropic composite magnetic microparticles. The first half of the thesis focuses on self-assembling colloidal superballs, revealing arrangements through small-angle x-ray scattering during droplet evaporation. Incorporating permanent magnetic superballs adds complexity, unveiling dipole-induced structures. Magnetic field effects on assembly are also observed, offering insights into tunable macroscopic colloidal assembly formation. Furthermore, the work aims to improve photocatalytic hematite microparticles, essential for applications like self-propelled motion. Here, calcination substantially heightens their activity. Lastly, diverse techniques for crafting anisotropic composite magnetic microparticles are explored, concluding with future prospects in this dynamic field of soft matter.@en

Understanding the relationship between colloidal building block shape and self-assembled material structure is important for the development of novel materials by self-assembly. In this regard, colloidal superballs are unique building blocks because their shape can smoothly transition between spherical and cubic. Assembly of colloidal superballs under spherical confinement results in macroscopic clusters with ordered internal structure. By utilizing Small Angle X-Ray Scattering (SAXS), we probe the internal structure of colloidal superball dispersion droplets during confinement. We observe and identify four distinct drying regimes that arise during compression via evaporating droplets, and we track the development of the assembled macrostructure. As the superballs assemble, we found that they arrange into the predicted paracrystalline, rhombohedral C₁-lattice that varies by the constituent superballs’ shape. This provides insights in the behavior between confinement and particle shape that can be applied in the development of new functional materials.

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