General Topic:

Complex and multifunctional polymeric structures for biomedical and biotechnological applications 

Research Area:

• Design, manufacture and testing of new polymers / polymeric matrices with complex structures used for biomedical and biotechnological applications.
• Synthetic and natural polymers chemically modified, with complex architectures, for the controlled release of medicines, for the "targeted" delivery of medicines, as biomimetic supports for the engineering (regeneration) of different tissues (bone, muscle, epithelial, etc) or for others biomedical and biotechnological applications (flocculations, purifications, enzyme immobilization, etc).
• Self-regulated drug delivery systems based on polymers sensitive to external stimuli able to release the drug when normal physiological conditions are disturbed. Synthesis of polymeric micro- and nano-particles in suspension or in colloidal solutions.
• Derivatives of natural or synthetic polymers with variable amphiphilicity and / or sensitive to external stimuli, for biotechnological or biomedical applications.
• New polymers with antimicrobial activity based on natural products (polysaccharides, bile acids).
• The use of gentle, environmentally friendly methods for the selective functionalization of natural polymers, in particular cellulose, starch and pullulan. The proposed functionalization methods are applied in particular for the oxidation reaction of the various OH groups (primary or secondary) in the anhydroglycoside unit of the polysaccharides. The synthesized oxidation products are then used as matrices for the incorporation of nanoparticles (silver, magnetite), the preparation of hydrogels or adsorbent materials for removing dyes and heavy metals from wastewater.
• Identification of innovative concepts for the development of new materials based on natural compounds with applications in environmental protection, medicine, cosmetics, food industry.
• Functionalization of natural polymers and use of new biodegradable and biocompatible matrices to diversify the architecture of composites.
• Cellulose nanofibers and magnetic nanoparticles for the treatment of tumor by hyperthermia.
• Hybrid nanostructured materials, carbon nanofibers from natural polymers with antimicrobial activity.