Regular biography
Matthew J. Harrington is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at McGill University. His research focuses on green materials fabrication inspired by nature, exploring how biopolymeric materials are synthesized from biomolecular building blocks. He is Co-Director of the McGill Institute for Advanced Materials (MIAM) and holds a CRC tier 2 in Green Chemistry. Harrington earned his B.A. from the University of Delaware and Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He has held postdoctoral positions at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces and was an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow. His work integrates materials science, biochemistry, and polymer science to develop advanced bio-inspired materials.
Scholar-generated biography
Matthew Harrington is a researcher in the Department of Chemistry at McGill University, specializing in Green Chemistry, Bio-inspired Materials, and Biogenic Materials. His work focuses on developing sustainable materials inspired by natural systems, particularly through the study of mussel adhesion and biogenic structures. Harrington's research explores the use of metal-ligand cross-links, metal coordination, and self-healing mechanisms to create advanced materials with mechanical properties similar to biological systems. His publications highlight the role of metal ions in biogenic protein-based materials, the synthesis of bioadhesives, and the mechanical behavior of natural fibers. By mimicking biological strategies, his research contributes to the design of environmentally friendly and high-performance materials.