Research Group Rodriguez-Emmenegger

The Rodriguez-Emmenegger group aims at the development of adaptive biointerfaces and protocells able to interact and direct synthetic and natural systems. Towards this aim, they develop routes to tailor the topology and architecture of synthetic and hybrid macromolecules and program their intermolecular interactions to drive the hierarchical directed self-assembly into interfaces and materials capable to selectively and actively (autonomously) alter their properties to environmental cues —biological and artificial. Furthermore, they investigate, how to achieve superselective interfaces by balancing repellency in aqueous systems with multivalent and cooperative attractive interactions.

The Rodriguez-Emmenegger group strives for translating their basic research into adaptive hemocompatible coatings, antimicrobial wound dressings and diagnostic tools. They are also developing new concepts for cell membrane mimics and protocellular systems capable of communicating with living cells and directing their behavior by the exploitation of biophysical and biochemical actions.