Research topics

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  Permeability of lipid bilayers induced by polymers

  Lipid bilayers emerge by self-organization of amphiphilic molecules and are the essential component of membranes of living cells. An important task of them is the selective exchange of substances between the cell and its environment. This becomes particularly interesting for delivering foreign molecules and RNA into the cell. In the classical view of cell...

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  Polymer micelles as drug carriers

  Block copolymer micelles are composed of polymer chains with sequences of hydrophilic and hydrophobic blocks. In a dilute aqueous solution, they form spherical or cylindrical nano-objects comprised of several chains with a hydrophobic core and extended hydrophilic corona. Lipophilic drugs can be dissolved in the core of these micelles, while the corona wi...

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  Translocation of nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes and polymers through bilayers

  Cell membranes represent a serious protective barrier for external molecules, proteins, nanoparticles and drugs. This barrier is quite efficient in protecting the interior of the cells. However, large nanoscale objects, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have been found inside the cells both in direct and indirect biological experiments. Such experime...

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  Anti-bacterial surfaces inspired by cicada wings

  Many surfaces found in nature possess sophisticated topographical structures which provide them with exceptional properties. Nano-structured surface of lotus leafs efficiently repel water, microscopic brushes of gecko fingers drastically increase the contact with surfaces, topographical structures provides for enhanced anti-reflection surface properties i...

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  Cyclodextrins and their applications

  Cyclodextrins can complexate with polymers and thus can be grafted to surfaces. Grafted layers of sliding polymers are constructed from polymers threading through ring-like molecules grafted to a surface. Such grafting mode allows the polymer chains to freely slide inside the ring-like molecules, thus providing additional degree of freedom for gr...

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