News from the Sustainable and Bio-inspired Materials dept.

The “FatLoop” project will use fatty acids from discarded oils to repurpose plastic waste into functional materials. Led by Dr. Manuel Häußler, FatLoop aims to lay the groundwork for a future beyond conventional plastics, with the long-term goal of developing fully recyclable and sustainable materials that match the versatility of plastics without their environmental footprint. The project has received €2 million in funding from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
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With the support of an ERC Starting Grant, Dr. John J. Molloy will use light to design 3D organoboron molecules with tailored properties. His project, LUMIBOR, exploits the hybridization of boron—an element that can switch between planar and tetrahedral atomic configurations—to fine-tune its reactions via light activation. The envisioned molecules will provide versatile building blocks with enhanced reactivity for both fundamental research and industrial applications. more

The Glyconeer 3.1 represents the latest breakthrough in the automated assembly of complex sugar chains. The improved design and technology patented by Peter Seeberger’s research group make their synthesis fast, energy-efficient, and user-friendly. A better understanding of life’s most common molecules promises important advances in fields ranging from biotechnology to medicine and materials science.  
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Dr. Felix Löffler takes chemical synthesis out of flasks and beakers and replaces liquid solvents with solid polymer inks in a 3D multimaterial nanoprinter . A laser beam precisely transfers nanometric amounts of chemical compounds onto an acceptor surface, where thousands of different reactions can take place in parallel. The invention has applications in chemical engineering, biotechnology, and materials science. more

Fucoidan, a sugar released by algae, can trap carbon dioxide (CO2) for centuries but remains poorly understood due to its complex and diverse molecular structure. Dr. Conor Crawford recreated fucoidan in the lab to study which types are most effective at storing carbon. Better knowledge of its properties could contribute to technologies against climate change.
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Dr. Oren Moscovitz has been awarded €25,000 by the Max Planck Society for his promising research toward treatments and non-invasive diagnostics for cancers. Moscovitz and his team exploit unique sugar patterns found on cancer cells and develop ultra-small antibodies from alpacas (known as nanobodies) that bind to these sugars. more

The innovative combination of complex sugars and fluorine is a promising initial step towards developing more effective vaccines against some bacteria that cause meningitis. The compound designed by Peter Seeberger and Ryan Gilmour (University of Münster) triggered a strong immune response ... more

Researchers at the MPICI have designed a carbohydrate sequence capable of folding into a stable secondary structure. Until now, such self-folding biopolymers had only been developed for DNA and proteins, and sugars were previously considered too flexible to assume a stable conformation. more

At its annual meeting in Göttingen, the Max Planck Society awarded the Otto Hahn Medal 2022 to the young scientist Dr Susanne Reischauer. The prize is awarded for outstanding scientific achievements during doctoral studies.
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A method has been developed that could make it harder to counterfeit products in the future. The new and patented process makes it possible to produce unique, non-copiable fluorescent patterns quickly, environmentally friendly and at low cost. more

Dr. Martina Delbianco was selected to receive a grant of 1.5 million euros from the European Research Council (ERC). Over a period of five years, the EU will fund the development of programmable carbohydrate architectures, which in the long term may result in the creation of new materials from sugar. more

Peter H. Seeberger received an honorary doctorate from the UCTechnology in Prague on September 23. The ceremony took place during the University’s 70th anniversary at the Strahov Monastery. more