Hard tissue in the form of bone (cortical bone and cancellous bone) and teeth (enamel and dentin) differs in chemical composition and is subject to hierarchical organizational principles, which are expressed in the morphology. This also results in gradients of mechanical properties such as modulus of elasticity, strength, elongation and microhardness. The investigation of this structure-property correlation explains the morphological and mechanical correlations in hard tissue on the one hand and enables the targeted development of biomaterials and the design of implants on the other.

Furthermore, together with our cooperation partners, we also investigate these correlations in the context of pathologies such as osteoporosis and hormone balance. In addition to the mechanical and morphological characterization of hard tissue, we are developing new methods of hard tissue preparation for electron microscopy together with the Electron Microscopy Center of the University Medical Center Rostock .