Facultat de Física

Departament de Física de la Matèria Condensada

Using Nature’s engineering principles to design biointerfaces and synthetic cells for nanomedicine

César Rodriguez-Emmenegger (crodriguez@ibecbarcelona.eu)

Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) and Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA)

Nature's ability to engineer functionality in materials arise from the hierarchical self-assembly of seemgly simple (macro)molecular building blocks. Deciphering these intricate blueprints forms a robust foundation for the bio-inspired synthesis of materials that can seamless interact with living systems and the execute of novel functions. My lecture showcases a curated selection of research endeavors conducted in our laboratory, all centered around the overarching objective of crafting bio-inspired interactive materials for biomedical applications. First, I will introduce adaptive hemocompatible nanocoatings with the remarkable that mimic simple functions of natural endothelium and are capable modulating hemostasis as well as to detect and digest of blood clots. This technology is translated to oxygenator membranes. Second, I will delve into our innovations concerning 'Kill&Repel' and adaptive antimicrobial nanocoatings tailored for medical devices. Lastly, I will concentrate on the development of synthetic cells, specifically engineered vesicles designed to mimic fundamental biological properties and perform specific tasks. These tasks encompass hosting bacterial divisomes and engineering synthetic macrophage-mimetic microrobots proficient in the phagocytosis of bacteria and viruses, including SARS-CoV-2. Remarkably all these tasks are programmed at the molecular level.