Research | Dept. Weil

The Department of Synthesis of Macromolecules, established in 2017 at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, aims to redefine how we design and control matter in living systems. Bringing together chemists, biologists, and physicists, we take inspiration from the cell as the fundamental unit of life and from nature’s ability to organize soft matter across hierarchical length scales. Our central question is how molecular information is encoded, processed, and stored in dynamic, transient material states that give rise to function.

We pursue a bottom-up approach, in which small molecules, such as peptides, assemble into ordered nanostructures across several length scales. Rather than viewing materials as static entities, we treat them as programmable systems whose structure, dynamics, and function are defined by both molecular sequence and assembly pathway. This enables us to create catalytic, responsive materials that capture key principles of biological organization.

A defining direction of our work is the integration of synthetic and living matter to control cellular function beyond genetic engineering. By interfacing adaptive materials with cells, we establish bidirectional metabolite exchange that allows us to modulate cellular viability, energy consumption, respiration, and protein expression in a non-genetic and dynamic manner. In parallel, we develop nanodiamond-based quantum sensors that enable the precise measurement and manipulation of physical and chemical parameters inside cells, including oxidative stress, pH, temperature, and reactive species.

Together, these efforts establish programmable adaptive biomaterials that can read, respond to, and reprogram biological systems. Our long-term vision is to harness this capability to create materials that do not merely exist in biological environments, but actively participate in and control life-like processes autonomously.

We solve scientific challenges in the following research areas:

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