Biofabrication of nano and microstructured peptide hydrogels for biotechnological applications Line of research The research aims at the use of lipolytic enzymes of different origins for the synthesis in aqueous phase of peptide-based hydrogels. The synthesized Fmoc-tripeptides are able to self-assemble in water forming highly interconnected nanofibrillary structures. The prepared materials are injectable systems, whose precursors, liquids at room temperature, can give rise to the formation of gels at physiological temperature. These biomaterials are designed for biomedical applications as scaffolds for cell growth and differentiation in the biomedical field and in drug delivery Staff Supervisor: Cleofe PalocciDepartment staff: Alessandra GentiliLaura ChronopoulouRobertino ZanoniUniversity staff: Bordi Federico (Dip. di Fisica) Publications Designing unconventional Fmoc-peptide-based biomaterials: structure and related propertiesA physico-chemical approach to the study of genipin crosslinking of biofabricated peptide hydrogelsBiosynthesis and characterization of a novel Fmoc-tetrapeptide-based hydrogel for biotechnological applicationsSelf-assembling peptide hydrogels promote microglial cells proliferation and NGF productionBiosynthesis of innovative calcium phosphate/hydrogel composites: physicochemical and biological characterisation Collaborations National collaborations: Nocca Giuseppina (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma)Alessandro Arcovito (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma)Mara Massimi (Università degli Studi dell'Aquila)Ilaria Cacciotti (Universita' Niccolo' Cusano, Roma)Ornella Parolini (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma)Wanda Lattanzi (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma)Aurelio Muttini (Università degli Studi di Teramo)Mirella Falconi (Università di Bologna) Fundings and awards Fundings: PRIN 2017 Theme and ERC Theme: Life-Sciences chemistryERC: PE5_6 New materials: oxides, alloys, composite, organic-inorganic hybrid, nanoparticlesPE5_7 Biomaterials synthesisPE8_9 Materials engineering (biomaterials, metals, ceramics, polymers, composites...) Traineeship offer Area di ricerca: Industrial chemistryAvailability: one positionCourse of study (advised): Industrial chemistry