BIOSONS aims to the development of a new generation of self-assembling materials and SONS. Starting from the well established rationale for self-assembling block copolymers, BIOSONS will introduce, in this field, the extraordinary resources that can be found in biological systems. The approach to this new paradigm is designed in three stages by which the role of synthetic polymers is progressively substituted by sophisticated biological molecules. First, biological functions ( by selected peptides and oligonucleotides) will be coupled to self-assembling synthetic polymers as a way to boost their (bio)functionality. Second, self-assembling and selective-bindings parts taken from natural proteins and oligonucleotides, will be also combined with synthetic polymers to improve their capabilities to self-assemble and show specific interactions. In the last stage, biological complex materials, having clearly enhance capabilities for both, self-assembly and (bio)function, will be exclusively employed.
The most advanced polymer synthesis technologies, as well as pioneer, material science-oriented, biotechnology (genetically engineered protein-based polymers and engineered natural proteins and polynucleotides) will be the source of breakthrough advanced smart, functional and self-assembling materials. In addition, the most up-to-date tools of physical-chemical characterization-manipulation and theoretical modelling, adapted for the new challenges brought about by the incorporation of bio-related molecules to the materials and systems, will complement the synthetic effort.
By this truly multidisciplinary approach and with the decisive incorporation of sophisticated biological resources, much more complex, well defined and (bio)functional materials will be (bio)produced and manipulated to achieve a new standard in the self-assembling capabilities and functionalities of self-assembling macromolecules. Breakthrough softand hard SONS, in terms of structure and function, are expected to be obtained in BIOSONS as well as new background of theoretical and methodological concepts in self-assembling material science and engineering.
Project Leader:
Professor Wolfgang Meier
University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
Principal Investigators:
Professor Axel Mueller
University Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
Dr. Petr Stepanek
Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
Professor Matthias Ballauff
Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
Dr. Helmut Schlaad
Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces (MPI-KGF), Golm, Germany
Associated Partners:
Dr. Günter Reiter
Institut de Chimie des Surfaces et Interfaces, Mulhouse, France
Dr. Oleg Borisov
Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, CNRS & University of Pau, Pau, France
Professor José Rodríguez-Cabello
E.T.S.I.I., University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
Cooperating Partner:
Professor Frédéric Nallet
CNRS, Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal, Pessa, France
