Table 1.

Summary of critical challenges in materials science where the study of biological materials could make important contributions.

Property	Key concept	Example
Amplify the best properties of all building blocks	Synergestistic interactions between different material mechanisms/structures	Stiffness of mineral crystal and ductility of protein
Reach high performance at large length-scales/time-scales with design that starts at the bottom	Upscaling (through length-/time-scales)	Achieve strength of single carbon nanotube in a macroscopic fiber; mechanical integrity at long time-scale (durability)
Achieve diversity of material properties with same building blocks	Expand design space through hierarchical structures	Use of simple peptides/proteins to manufacture various biomaterials with distinct properties (e.g.: silk, elastin, tendon, hair)