Julian Link
Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research
Main Focus
I would like to understand and control the order and dynamics of peptide self-assemblies through molecular design, with a particular focus on how light-responsive peptide systems assemble and evolve in real time. I am also particularly interested in using NMR spectroscopy to characterize these assemblies and follow how their structure and dynamics change.
Curriculum Vitae
Julian studied Biomedical Chemistry
at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz (Germany) and graduated in March 2022.
After completing his Master’s degree, Julian joined the group of Prof. Pedro
Gois in Lisbon (Portugal) for a three-month Erasmus+ funded research internship
to work on the synthesis of diazaborines to develop ROS responsive antibody
drug conjugates. For his Master’s thesis Julian joined the group of Prof. Tanja
Weil to work with Dr. David Ng and Dr. Zhixuan Zhou on the intracellular
self-assembly of platinum-based nanofibers. Julian rejoined the group of Prof.
Tanja Weil in August 2022 for his PhD studies, focusing on self-assembly of
dynamic hierarchical nanostructures.
Selected Publications
J. Link, L. Burg, S.
Chagri, H.-C. Nguyen, D.Y.W. Ng*, B.J. Ravoo*, T. Weil*;
Photoswitchable Peptides as Molecular Tools to Encode Structural Order and
Disorder in Intracellular Assemblies;
Angew. Chem.
Int. Ed., 2026, 65, 3, e14781,
https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202514781
S. Chagri‡, K. Maxeiner‡,
M.J.S.A. Silva, L. Förch, J. Link,
P. Roth, R. Meyer, J. Fetzer, A. Kaltbeitzel, I. Lieberwirt, K. Landfester, M.
Wagner, D.Y.W. Ng*, T. Weil*;
Intracellular Formation of Synthetic Peptide Nanostructures Causes
Mitochondrial Disruption and Cell Death in Tumor Spheroids;
Adv. Sci. 2025, 12, 25 2412606, doi:10.1002/advs.202412606
M.T. Jeena, J.
Link, J. Zhang, I. Harley, P. Turunen, R. Graf, M. Wagner, L.A. Baptista,
H.R.A. Jonker, L. Cui, I. Lieberwirth, K. Landfester, J. Rao, D.Y.W. Ng*, T.
Weil*; Chaperone-Derived Copper(I)-Binding Peptide Nanofibers Disrupt Copper
Homeostasis in Cancer Cells;
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2024, 63, 51, e202412477, doi:10.1002/anie.202412477