The research activities of the IMBM group (Interfaces between Materials and Biological Matter) are broadly focused on material-biological matter interfaces, where complex physico-chemical phenomena take place.
We are interested in the surface adsorption, self-assembly and covalent grafting of biomacromolecules in liquid conditions as well as in studies on cellular processes (from cell adhesion to differentiation). We are using biophysical methods and electrochemistry techniques for precisely controlling and analyzing the surfaces of our materials or the biological matter organized at the materials surface.
Our studies are at a fundamental level but also dedicated to specific applications, in the fields of biosensors, pharmaceutical applications, biomaterials and regenerative medicine.
The different sub-projects are strongly interdisciplinarity and include: materials science, electrochemistry, biochemistry and cellular biology. They are organized in three main axes focusing on different aspects of the interfaces:
- Electrical phenomena at interfaces
- Label free detection of DNA (semiconductive thin films) and electrocical detection of bacterial
- Electrochemical control of Dictyostelium cell spreading
- Biomolecular conformational changes at surfaces/biomembranes
- Protein aggregation at materials surfaces
- Ezrin binding to vesicles containing phosphoinositides (PIP2)
- Control of cell motility and differentiation by materials properties
- Polyelectrolyte multilayer films as a tool to control cellular processes
- Micropatterned surfaces to study Dicty cells motility