The Advanced Materials and Structures Lab (AMSL) is a series of labs that manufacture and/or characterize a variety of hard composites such as carbon fiber, glass fiber, and Kevlar in addition to soft composites such as biological specimens like neurons and grey/white matter. Instruments include a variety of Instron tensile/compressive test machines, an Autoclave, Nanoindentation testers, and a split-Hopkinson pressure bar. The AMSL also implements Finite Element computer simulation methods used to model and predict the behavior of these materials.