Invited Seminar - Dr. César Rodriguez-Emmenegger, IBEC, ICREA & DWI Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials

Bio-Inspired Soft Matter at the Service of Interactive Biointerfaces and Synthetic Cells

Nature achieves unmatched functionality by the self-assembly of (macro)molecular building blocks in a hierarchical manner. All information necessary for the function is encoded at the molecular level. Unraveling such blueprints serves as a powerful paradigm in the bio-inspired synthesis of materials that can seamlessly interface with living matter or perform non-natural functions. In this talk, I will present a selection of research studies from my lab addressing the overarching task of developing bio-inspired interactive materials and their application in the biomedical field. Three themes will be considered. Firstly, I will present hydrophilic arborescent polymers, a new class of quasi-dendritic macromolecules in which the topology codes for extreme flexibility and enables a myriad of multivalent interactions. Secondly, I will present highlights of the antimicrobial Kill&Repel and Adaptive hemocompatible nanocoatings and our efforts in translating them to medical devices. The last part of the talk will focus on the development of Membrane Machines, tailor-made synthetic vesicles capable of recapitulating some fundamental biological properties and performing specific tasks. We take advantage of these systems to study how biological selectivity can emerge from the lateral organization of ligand in static and dynamic systems such as the bacterial divisome. We are also developing synthetic macrophage-mimetic microrobots capable of endocytosing bacteria and viruses, including SARS-CoV-2. 

Research lines of Bioinspired Interactive Materials and Protocellular Systems group.