In our team, we explore different approaches to build hybrid systems that can blur the line between living and synthetic matter. To achieve this, we use bioinspired materials, bioderived molecules, and nanotechnology in combination with different fabrication tools to redefine the boundaries of bioengineering and synthetic biology in different research areas:
We are pioneering hybrid nano-biomaterials to develop tissue-regenerative platforms that not only support cell growth but also actively program cellular behavior. The 3D constructs formulated through the combination of responsive nanomaterials and biopolymers, we would be able to offer a dynamic microenvironment to the cells and control their behavior through external stimuli, such as light, ultrasound, or electricity.
Our work aims to design immune-instructive materials that caneducate immune cells for both anticancer therapy and tissue regeneration. We create bio-synthetic tools at nanoscale capable of directing immune cell fate and function in disease microenvironment.
Cells constantly communicate through biochemical, mechanical, and electrical signals. We explore how nanomaterials can serve as active messengers between synthetic systems and living cells. By designing nanoscale platforms that can regulate, guide, or amplify cellular communication, we open possibilities to orchestrate complex biological processes. Our programmable nanomaterials are designed to reshape biological signaling, enabling new levels of control over how cells sense, respond, and interact one another. Ultimately, our goal is to redirect cell-cell crosstalk during tissue regeneration or in the treatment of various diseases.
We create next-generation biomedical solutions by harnessing bio-based design principles in combination with nano- and micro-fabrication technologies to develop therapeutics that resemble the dynamic, adaptive, and smart behaviors found in living systems. This includes designing smart scaffolds that mimic extracellular matrices of natural tissues, harnessing plant-derived hydrogels and nanomaterials for drug delivery, fabricating stimuli-responsive carriers that replicate cellular functions, and creating hybrid cell or tissue mimicking structures for precision therapy. Our goal is to recreate biological functions in engineered forms that offer safety and therapeutic potential.
In our team, material-driven synthetic biology and bioengineering focuses on 1) developing hybrid natural-synthetic systems and cell-driven material incorporated alive therapeutics that emulate cellular architectures or biological pathways; 2) adding ultrasound, light, and magnetic responsive nanomaterials to bacteria or other types of cells to remotely control cell function; 3) using catalytic nanomaterials with cells and microorganisms to replace or augment natural enzymes and drive engineered biochemical reactions. Using these technologies we can regulate gene expression, guide cellular behavior, or support cell-free biochemical networks. These hybrid systems can demonstrate capabilities far beyond those of common synthetic biology. For example, stimuli-responsive hydrogels embedded with nanoparticle transducers can create “smart” synthetic tissues where gene/protein expression can be triggered by light, ultrasound, or magnetic fields. Such platforms allow us to engineer next-generation synthetic biological systems that are modular, tunable, and capable of interacting dynamically with their environment, opening new avenues for programmable cell therapies and life-like chemical systems.
Together, we are shaping a future where more powerful therapeutic solutions can deliver longer-lasting effects, greater efficacy, fewer burdens, and better healing, whether through a single approach or a combination of these benefits.
Across our research themes, we aim for developing new therapeutic strategies and technologies that can make transformative benefits for society by addressing major challenges in healthcare. Our hybrid nano-biomaterials enable more effective tissue regeneration strategies that could accelerate healing after injury and reduce the need for long hospitalization. Through synthetic immunology, we create immune-instructive materials that can train immune cells to fight cancer more precisely, which ultimately can have an impact on prolonged healthier life for patients. Our work on nano-programmed bio-communication opens new possibilities to control how cells communicate during disease or repair, offering innovative strategies to treat chronic inflammation, cancer, fibrosis, and impaired healing. By drawing inspiration from nature, our biomimetic and bioinspired materials offer cheaper, safer, more adaptive, and more sustainable therapeutic solutions. Finally, our material-mediated synthetic biology platforms provide the foundation for next-generation “living therapeutics,” smart biomaterials, and controllable cell-based therapies, creating opportunities for personalized medicine, early disease intervention, and treatments that adapt to the patient’s biological environment. Together, these research directions aim to improve patient outcomes, reduce healthcare burdens, and build a new generation of biomedical technologies capable of addressing some of the most pressing medical needs of our time.
University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG)
Department of Biomaterials & Biomedical Technology (BBT)
Ant. Deusinglaan 1 - Building 3215
9713 AV Groningen
The Netherlands
University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG)
Department of Biomaterials & Biomedical Technology (BBT)
Ant. Deusinglaan 1 - Building 3215
9713 AV Groningen
The Netherlands
