Welcome to the Comparative Biomaterials Lab at Chapman University led by Dr. Douglas Fudge. We study a wide range of materials made by animals, including nano-scale filaments within cells, slimes secreted to ward off predators, and large structures like the keratinous plates of baleen whales. Our work on the biomechanics of predator defense in hagfishes has led us to explore many other aspects of hagfish biology, including bioenergetics, burrowing behavior and biomechanics, reproduction, and biodiversity. Recent work in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador led to the discovery and description of four new species of hagfishes.
We are also committed to applying what we learn from the study of biomaterials to real-life challenges. Animals make outstanding materials for a wide variety of functions without the benefit of petroleum and without fouling their environments. Our expertise in biomaterials creates rich opportunities to collaborate with engineers on bio-inspired design projects, including efforts to produce biomimetic hagfish slime.
To learn more about our research, click on the links below and check out our Publications.
Fudge Lab News
Fudge Lab receives Faculty Opportunity Fund award
Dr. Fudge received a Faculty Opportunity Fund award from Chapman University for his proposal "Bio-inspiration for the Next Generation of Firefighting Technologies." The award will allow the Fudge Lab to carry out a pilot study exploring the use of bio-inspired...
Research on hagfish slime mucus published in Langmuir
The Fudge Lab published a paper in Langmuir on the biophysical properties of mucous vesicles from hagfish slime. This was work that was started by Shannon Ferraro and Andre Hupe at the University of Guelph, and finished by Sara Siwiecki and Dr. Gaurav Jain at Chapman...
NSF RET Award!
The Fudge Lab, in collaboration with Tara Barnhart, received a Research Experience for Teachers (RET) award from the National Science Foundation to work with two local high school biology teachers in the summer of 2021. These teachers will have the opportunity to work...
Galápagos Take 2
Dr. Fudge returned to the Galápagos in January 2020 with collaborator Michael Mincarone to continue their research there on hagfishes. They finished a whole bunch of data collection and also collected hi-res video of four species of hagfishes at depth. Below is a...
McCord lab starting up at CSU Dominguez Hills
Postdoc Charlie McCord landed a job as an assistant professor at CSU Dominguez Hills, where she will be starting in Fall 2019. Congrats Charlie!
Research Projects in the Fudge Lab
