Dynamic Biomaterials

We study and orchestrate how synthetic materials interact with living cells. We engineer cell-instructive environments and material-based solutions for zero-waste therapeutic solutions.

Our group develops hydrogel materials with programmed and tunable properties designed to encapsulate and instruct living cells. We study how living cells and inert matter interact and how these interactions can be exploited to direct cellular functions and ultimately result in therapeutic advantages. We cooperate with synthetic biologists, biophysicists, drug developers and clinicians to explore the application potential of our developments, with a focus on new materials for ophthalmic drug delivery. We contribute to INM’s competence fields opto-interactive and bio-intelligent materials. Our research addresses biomedical needs.

Prof. Dr. Aránzazu del Campo
Prof. Dr. Aránzazu del Campo
Head of Dynamic Biomaterials
Telefon: +49 (0)681-9300-510
E-mail: [email protected]
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Contact

Dr. Aleeza Farrukh, INM – Leibniz-Institut für Neue Materialien gGmbH
Dr. Aleeza Farrukh
Research Scientist
Phone: +49 (0)681-9300-315
E-mail: [email protected]
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Dr. Jennifer Yvonne Kasper, INM – Leibniz-Institut für Neue Materialien gGmbH
Dr. Jennifer Yvonne Kasper
Head of Bioengineering
Phone: +49 (0)681-9300-345
E-mail: [email protected]
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Team Members
B.Sc. Israa Abdulrahman Mohammed Kheir Elh
Phone: +49 (0)681-9300-352
E-mail: [email protected]
Daniel Ablahad
Phone: +49 (0)681-9300-181
E-mail: [email protected]
Britta Abt
Phone: +49 (0)681-9300-363
E-mail: [email protected]
Dr.-Ing. Sener Albayrak
Phone: +49 (0)681-9300-157
E-mail: [email protected]
Dr. Gerardo Asensio Martín
Phone: +49 (0)681-9300-315
E-mail: [email protected]
Dipl.-Chem. Stefan Brück
Phone: +49 (0)681-9300-245
E-mail: [email protected]
Francesco Di Cicco
Phone: +49 (0)681-9300-282
E-mail: [email protected]
Semhar Eyob
Phone: +49 (0)681-9300-414
E-mail: [email protected]
M.Sc. Hafiz Syed Usama bin Farrukh
Phone: +49 (0)681-9300-360
E-mail: [email protected]
Dr. Aleeza Farrukh
Phone: +49 (0)681-9300-315
E-mail: [email protected]
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0711-0419
Dr. Jun Feng
Phone: +49 (0)681-9300-214
E-mail: [email protected]
M.Sc. Annalena Elisabeth Frank
E-mail: [email protected]
B.Sc. Daniel Alfonso Garcia Sanchez
Phone: +49 (0)681-9300-245
E-mail: [email protected]
M.Sc. Syuzanna Hambardzumyan
Phone: +49 (0)681-9300-245
E-mail: [email protected]
Dr. Hannah Jahn-Kelleter
Phone: +49 (0)681-9300-384
E-mail: [email protected]
M.Sc. Zahra Kafrashian
Phone: +49 (0)681-9300-237
E-mail: [email protected]
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2960-7597
M.Sc. Hanuman Chowdary Kalari
Phone: +49 (0)681-9300-401
E-mail: [email protected]
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2229-317X
Dr. Jennifer Yvonne Kasper
Phone: +49 (0)681-9300-345
E-mail: [email protected]
M.Sc. Mokhamad Khamdan
Phone: +49 (0)681-9300-349
E-mail: [email protected]
Dr. Steffen Krauser
Phone: +49 (0)681-9300-401
E-mail: [email protected]
Dr. Rinku Kumar
Phone: +49 (0)681-9300-316
E-mail: [email protected]
Prof. Dr. Juan Mancebo Aracil
Phone: +49 (0)681-9300-155
E-mail: [email protected]
M.Sc. Joëlle Aurelie Mekontso Ngaffo
Phone: +49 (0)681-9300-247
E-mail: [email protected]
Dr. Christian Müller
Phone: +49 (0)681-9300-315
E-mail: [email protected]
M.Sc. Ann-Cathrin Schlapp
Phone: +49 (0)681-9300-214
E-mail: [email protected]
Silke Siegrist
Phone: +49 (0)681-9300-363
E-mail: [email protected]
M.Sc. Therese Steudter
Phone: +49 (0)681-9300-384
E-mail: [email protected]
M.Sc. Lara Luana Teruel Enrico
Phone: +49 (0)681-9300-282
E-mail: [email protected]
Lennart Weismantel
Phone: +49 (0)681-9300-152
E-mail: [email protected]
Research

Hydrogels with latent properties

By integrating phototriggers and light-responsive molecular motors in polymeric networks, we develop 4D hydrogels with optoregulated (bio)chemical activity, crosslinking, degradation, or mechanoactuation. These are used for biophysical studies of cell response to changes in the biochemical and mechanical signals of the extracellular environment.

Model Cellular Microenvironments

We build synthetic models of cell-matrix and cell-cell interfaces with encoded biochemical, mechanical and dimensional signals. To accelerate discovery, we develop material microarrays for high-throughput biophysical experimentation and apply them to study multifactorial cell responses.

Living Therapeutic Devices

We develop bioinks and apply biofabrication technologies for functional and safe encapsulation of cells in medical devices. We focus on self-replenishable living therapeutic materials which integrate drug biofactories and have unlimited therapeutic release. We aim for innovation in ocular therapeutics with living, self-replenishable drug-eluting contact lenses.

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Selected Publications

Actin-templated Structures: Nature's Way to Hierarchical Surface Patterns (Gecko's Setae as Case Study)

Kasper, Jennifer Y. | Laschke, Matthias W. | Koch, Marcus | Alibardi, Lorenzo | Magin, Thomas M. | Niessen, Carien M. | del Campo, Aránzazu

Advanced Science , 2024, 11 (10), 2303816.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/advs.202303816

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Cytocompatibility evaluation of PEG-methylsulfone hydrogels

Trujillo, Sara | Kasper, Jennifer Y. | Miguel-Jimenez, Adrián De | Abt, Britta | Bauer, Alina | Mekontso Ngaffo, Joelle A. | Pearson, Samuel | del Campo, Aránzazu

ACS Omega , 2023, 8 (35), 32043-32052.
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsomega.3c03952

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Rheological behavior of Pluronic/Pluronic diacrylate hydrogels used for bacteria encapsulation in engineered living materials

Bhusari, Shardul | Hoffmann, Maxi | Herbeck-Engel, Petra | Sankaran, Shrikrishnan | Wilhelm, Manfred | del Campo, Aránzazu

Soft Matter , 2024, 20 (6), 1320-1332.
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2024/SM/D3SM01119D

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More publications