HYBRID MATERIALS

Our hybrid materials combine biomolecules with inorganic or polymeric nanostructures. We use building blocks  which are often biofunctionalised nanomaterials. Biofunctionalisation requires design of multifunctional surface linkers suitable for nanomaterial modification and biomolecule attachment. We have developed a toolbox of different linkers, stabilising moieties and click-chemistries to tailor the attachment chemistry to biomolecules ranging from DNA to antibodies.  

We employ biopolymers such as DNA, chitosan and other polysaccharides, and have recently prepared self-healing hydrogel structures suitable for 3D printing (with Prof. Nagore Gabilondo, San Sebastian https://www.ehu.eus/en/web/gmt/nagore-gabilondo).  Together with our collaborators in Taiwan ( Prof. Yu-Chueh Hung, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan ) we developed memory devices based on the use of DNA biopolymer and photo-triggered growth of silver nanoparticles, and recently we teamed up with Hitachi, Cambridge (add link here) to take our materials a step further and design photonic crystal based biosensing structures using high precision inject printing. 

Collaborators

Hitachi, Cambridge

Dr. Nagore Gabilondo, University of Basque Country, San Sebastian (biopolymer nanocomposites)

Prof. Yue-Chueh Hung, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan  (DNA based optoelectronics)

Prof. Mete Atature, Cavendish laboratory, University of Cambridge,  (nanodimond based sensors)