PLPL-1664
Polymer Chemistry in Living Cells: From Molecular Design to Cellular Control
Topic
PL. Plenary Lectures
When and Where
Oct 1, 2026
09:30 - 10:10
Room 205 (Summit Hall)
Session Chairs
Sung Yun YANG
Presenter(s)
Tanja Weil (Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Polymer and supramolecular chemistry offer powerful strategies to create functional structures directly within living cells and to modulate cellular processes with molecular precision. In this lecture, I will discuss our recent work on bioresponsive peptide nanomaterials whose assembly and activity can be controlled by light, redox signals, enzymes, or metabolites. These molecularly programmed transformations enable intracellular self-assembly, catalytic activity, and the selective modulation of cellular processes, including mitochondrial metabolism and immune function. Complementary to these synthetic approaches, we exploit the unique quantum properties of fluorescent nanodiamonds to probe radical chemistry in single living cells with high spatial and temporal resolution. Most recently, we have developed a bottom-up route from molecularly defined nanographenes to ultrasmall nanodiamonds, opening new opportunities to combine molecular precision with quantum sensing. Together, these studies illustrate how molecular design can bridge synthetic and living matter—from constructing dynamic nanostructures inside cells to probing their chemical environment and, ultimately, controlling cellular states and functions.
Figure 1. Bioresponsive caged peptide monomers enter living cells and undergo chemical transformations initiated by light and form supramolecular peptide nanofibers that can control cellular states and processes (Y. Ren et al. Nature Synthesis 2025).
Figure 1. Bioresponsive caged peptide monomers enter living cells and undergo chemical transformations initiated by light and form supramolecular peptide nanofibers that can control cellular states and processes (Y. Ren et al. Nature Synthesis 2025).
