Molecular engineering of ECM-derived biopolymers for functional hydrogels // ChemE seminar

The extracellular matrix (ECM) acts as a dynamic scaffold that supports cells and regulates essential processes such as tissue repair, homeostasis, and cell differentiation. In recent years, ECM-derived biopolymers have gained attention as promising candidates for creating biomimetic hydrogels, thanks to their inherent bioactivity and compatibility. Through molecular engineering, we can precisely tailor the biochemical and biophysical properties of these biopolymers to design hydrogels with specific, desirable functions. In this seminar, I will present recent advancements in the molecular engineering of ECM-derived biopolymers, such as hyaluronic acid (HA) and gelatin, focusing on bioinspired strategies for developing hydrogels with tissue-adhesive properties and dynamic, cell-instructive network structures.

Biography
Dr. Kongchang Wei received his PhD degree in Polymer Chemistry and Physics from Fudan University in 2013. After a postdoc stay at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, he joined Empa (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology) with a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship (Cofund). Since 2022, he has been leading a joint group "Tissue-Regenerative Soft Materials" between the Laboratory for Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles and the Laboratory for Biointerfaces from the Department "Materials Meet Life". His research focuses mainly on the development of bioactive polymers and microfluidic technologies to achieve soft materials for tissue regeneration.

The seminar will be followed by apero.