PhD. Topics

Protein-Based and Hybrid Biomaterials for Biomedical Applications

Biophysics

2026

RNDr., Ing. Katarína Šipošová, PhD.

Contact:

Faculty of Science, P.J. Safarik University

Protein-based hydrogels are a versatile class of biomaterials, valued for their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and ability to self-assemble into well-defined nanostructures. Beyond purely protein systems, hybrid hydrogels incorporating additional molecules or nanoparticles offer expanded functionality and tunable properties. These materials can be precisely engineered in terms of mechanical strength, chemical stability, and bioactivity, making them suitable for applications in tissue engineering, drug delivery, and biosensing. The PhD thesis/dissertation will explore the design and fabrication of single- and multi-component protein and hybrid hydrogels, with a focus on how composition, crosslinking strategies, and external dopants influence structure, stability, and responsiveness under physiologically relevant conditions. Advanced characterization techniques will be employed to study nanostructure, self-assembly dynamics, and functional performance. The outcomes of this work aim to provide practical guidelines for creating multifunctional, programmable materials and to support their application in biomedical, bioengineering, and nanotechnology contexts.

Literature:
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[3] Fallot, L. B. et al. From Pathology to Materials Science and Engineering: Harnessing the Amyloid State for Biotechnological Applications. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2025, 17, 62839−62859
[4] Liu Y. et al. Engineered Protein Hydrogels as Biomimetic Cellular Scaffolds. Adv. Mater. 2024, 36, 2407794