Biomimetic Compartments
Polymer vesicles: the synthetic versions of cell membranes and a building block for new bio-inspired technologies.
Cell membranes are more than just an envelope around cells. They regulate the communication between the cell and its surroundings through selective chemical transport across semi-permeable membranes. Cell membranes are directly involved in essential cellular processes such as signal transduction, surface recognition, tissue formation, cell growth and division. In our group, we engineer synthetic polymer membranes and that can mimic the properties of cellular membranes. Our goal is to create smart synthetic compartments that will be used in the construction of miniaturized bio-rectors, chemical sensors, synthetic cells, and drug delivery systems.
