The MIMIC team (Materials, Interfaces and Microenvironments for Cells) conducts interdisciplinary research at the interface between chemistry, materials science and biology, in the field of bio-based materials and biopolymers for healthcare. The team members aim to understand and control the interactions between biomaterials and living materials.
Beyond the traditional aspects questioning the material’s effect on living organisms (biostimulatory, biocidal and anti-biofilm effects, etc.), MIMIC focuses on “how to induce or target a biological response by structuring and modulating the physicochemical properties of biomaterials at the interface with living organisms”, at various scales.
This approach forms part of the broader field of modelling, therapy, tissue repair and regeneration, and focuses in particular on soft tissues, using materials capable of interacting dynamically with their biological environment.
Three axes are developed:
· Design of biopolymer-based materials capable of mimicking and modulating cellular microenvironments through 2D/3D/4D structuring strategies, including the introduction of functional properties and bioactivities, or even the incorporation of biological material;
· Study and engineer of bio-interfaces through surface functionalization modulating cellular response;
· Design of bionanotechnologies dedicated to targeted therapy, diagnosis and tracking. The processes include encapsulation, engineering of nanostructured systems, characterization and imaging, as well as the evaluation of their biological activity.