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.
Kontakt
Mitarbeiter/innen
Forschung
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.
Partner
Publikationen
Hambardzumyan, Syuzanna | Kasper, Jennifer Y. | Del Campo, Aránzazu
Biomaterials Advances , 2026, 178 214436.
doi:10.1016/j.bioadv.2025.214436
Liu, Kunpeng | Nickl, Philip | Feng, Jun | Haag, Rainer
Advanced Healthcare Materials , 2026, 15 (2), e02766.
doi:10.1002/adhm.202502766
Desai, Krupansh | Garcia-Sanchez, Lorely | Amini, Maryam | Teruel Enrico, Lara Luana | Siegrist, Silke | Del Campo, Aránzazu | Trujillo, Sara
Advanced Healthcare Materials , 2026, xxx (xxx), xxx.
doi:10.1002/adhm.202503831
Kafrashian, Zahra | Feng, Jun | Del Campo, Aránzazu
Advanced Materials Technologies , 2026, xxx (xxx), xxx.
doi:10.1002/admt.202501789
Kumar, Rinku | Fernandez-Yague, Marc A. | Bessaguet, Adrien | Lee, Hosoowi | Giuseppone, Nicolas | García, Andrés J. | Del Campo, Aránzazu
Advanced Science , 2026, 13 (10), e11538.
doi:10.1002/advs.202511538
Fernandes-Yagüe, Marc A. | Barber, Graham | del Campo, Aránzazu | Garcia, Andres J.
Biomaterials , 2026, 330 124010.
doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2026.124010
Zhao, Renping | Zhang, Jingnan | Zhang, Sijia | Schwarz, Eva C. | Del Campo, Aránzazu | Hoth, Markus | Qu, Bin
Science Signaling , 2026, 19 (922), eadt9566.
doi:10.1126/scisignal.adt9566
Farrukh, Hafiz Syed Usama Bin | Farrukh, Aleeza | Hambardzumyan, Syuzanna | Steudter, Therese | Del Campo, Aránzazu
Macromolecular Bioscience , 2026, 26 (2), e00627.
doi:10.1002/mabi.202500627
Junker, Fabian | Rupf, Stephan | Schindler, Paula Marie | Wilden, Cedric | Hohl, Mathias | Ruiz-Gómez, Gloria | Pisabarro, M. Teresa | Wrublewsky, Selina | Bickelmann, Caroline | Berhorst, Charlotte | Alansary, Dalia | Wieland, Ben | Bischoff, Markus | Lee, Poh Soo | Moeller, Stephanie | Berg, Albrecht | Dancker, Tobias A. | Lauterbach, Marcel A. | Ganse, Bergita | Prates Roma, Leticia | Steudter, Therese | Metzger, Wolfgang | Tschernig, Thomas | Ampofo, Emmanuel | Laschke, Matthias W. | Hannig, Matthias | Rother, Sandra
2026, 61 172-193.
doi:10.1016/j.bioactmat.2026.02.010
Mekontso Ngaffo, Joelle A. | Farrukh, Usama | Trujillo, Sara | Del Campo, Aránzazu
Biomaterials Advances , 2025, 169 214182.
doi:10.1016/j.bioadv.2025.214182