Palankar, R.; Pinchasik, B. E.; Schmidt, S.; De Geest, B. G.; Fery, A.; Möhwald, H.; Skirtach, A. G.; Delcea, M.: Mechanical strength and intracellular uptake of CaCO3-templated LbL capsules composed of biodegradable polyelectrolytes: the influence of the number of layers. Journal of Materials Chemistry B 1 (8), pp. 1175 - 1181 (2013)
Schmidt, S.; Madaboosi, N.; Uhlig, K.; Köhler, D.; Skirtach, A.; Duschl, C.; Möhwald, H.; Volodkin, D. V.: Control of cell adhesion by mechanical reinforcement of soft polyelectrolyte films with nanoparticles. Langmuir 28 (18), pp. 7249 - 7257 (2012)
Uhlig, K.; Madaboosi, N.; Schmidt, S.; Jäger, M. S.; Rose, J.; Duschl, C.; Volodkin, D. V.: 3d localization and diffusion of proteins in polyelectrolyte multilayers. Soft Matter 8 (47), pp. 11786 - 11789 (2012)
Fernandes, P. A. L.; Schmidt, S.; Zeiser, M.; Fery, A.; Hellweg, T.: Swelling and mechanical properties of polymer gels with cross-linking gradient. Soft Matter 6 (15), pp. 3455 - 3458 (2010)
Schmidt, S.; Zeiser, M.; Hellweg, T.; Duschl, C.; Fery, A.; Möhwald, H.: Adhesion and mechanical properties of PNIPAM microgel films and their potential use as switchable cell culture substrates. Advanced Functional Materials 20 (19), pp. 3235 - 3243 (2010)
Schmidt, S.; Hellweg, T.; von Klitzing, R.: Packing density control in P(NIPAM-co-AAc) microgel monolayers: effect of surface charge, pH, and preparation technique. Langmuir 24 (21), pp. 12595 - 12602 (2008)
Schmidt, S.; Motschmann, H.; Hellweg, T.; von Klitzing, R.: Thermoresponsive surfaces by spin-coating of PNIPAM-co-PAA microgels: a combined AFM and ellipsometry study. Polymer 49 (3), pp. 749 - 756 (2008)
Schmidt, S.; Van der Gucht, J.; Biesheuvel, P. M.; Weinkamer, R.; Helfer, E.; Fery, A.: Non-Gaussian curvature distribution of actin-propelled biomimetic colloid trajectories. European Biophysics Journal with Biophysics Letters 37 (8), pp. 1361 - 1366 (2008)
The Department of Sustainable and Bio-Inspired Materials (SBM) was one of 24 teams selected from over 270 applicants for the Best Research Environment Award, launched in 2024 by Die Junge Akademie and the Volkswagen Foundation.
We left the lab coat hanging for a day—but brought our lab equipment with us to meet more than 8,200 visitors. At our 10 stations, we showcased how we learn from nature to develop sustainable solutions—from dye- and pigment-free colors to bio-inspired materials for construction, medicine, and design.
Supported by the EU’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and the UK Guarantee Scheme, the 'Condensates at Membrane Scaffolds – Integrated Systems as Synthetic Cell Compartments’ doctoral network seeks 17 PhD candidates. This international and interdisciplinary program aims to train future biomedical and biotechnology researchers to explore cellular…
Scientists can now predict structural colors in bacteria. By sequencing a wide range of bacterial DNA and developing an accurate predictive model, reseachers uncovered how bacteria organize themselves into specific patterns within colonies to interfere with light and create iridescence.Their findings hold great promise for sustainable, pigment-free color production.
Biomolecular condensates may play a crucial but overlooked role in remodeling membrane structures within cells. Rumiana Dimova and her team demonstrated that these droplets can shape parts of the endoplasmic reticulum into nanotubes and double-membrane discs without the need for specific curvature-molding proteins.
Imagine switching on a light and being able to understand and control the inner dynamics of a cell. This is what the Dimova group has achieved: by shining lights of different colors on replicates of cells, they altered the interactions between cellular elements. Controlling these complex interactions enables us to deliver specific drugs directly into the cells.
Little is known yet about the interaction between these biomolecular condensate droplets and the membrane-bound organelles. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam developed synthetic membraneless organelles and visualized what happens when they meet a membrane.
Prof Silvia Vignolini, Ph.D. is establishing the new Department "Sustainable and Bio-inspired Materials". She is working at the interface of physics, chemistry, biology and materials science and perfectly complements the institute's profile of research on chemistry, materials and sustainability.