This activity concerns the conception and elaboration of biomaterials (injectable and thermo-sensitive hydrogels, hydrogel foams, cements) for tissue engineering applications. The main objectives are to determine their structure, and their mechanical and chemical properties at key interfaces in order to understand the biomaterial/cells interactions. This knowledge allows us to optimize the biomaterials’ chemical and topological characteristics. To reach these objectives, new methods based on atomic force microscopy (AFM) and cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-TEM, cryo- FIB-SEM) are developed to characterize the biomaterials with high resolution. These  microscopies are used both in imaging and spectroscopy mode, along with vibrational spectroscopy (IR and Raman), DLS or zeta potential measurements.

To go further : [Polysaccharide], [Hydrogels]

We are studying the interactions between nanoparticles and plant cells. Our objectives are to acquire a better knowledge of the bio-physical and physico-chemical properties at bio-interfaces and to characterize the mechanical properties of living plant cells exposed to nanoparticles in order to develop new (nano)materials useful in Biology, such as sensors. We are developing our research works in two directions: synthesis, functionalization and characterization of hybrid nanoparticles using green chemistry and study of the properties at plant cell wall and cell membranes and mechanical properties of plant cells while and after exposure to NPs.

Our objective is to characterize different food additives, such as titanium dioxide (E171), colloidal silver and calcium phosphates (E341), which are currently present as nanoparticles in different food formulations (confectionery, infant milk), or pharmaceuticals. We first determine the physico-chemical characteristics of these compounds using a wide range of techniques (electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, Raman, solid state NMR, XPS, X-ray diffraction, UV-visible, etc.). We then analyze their properties at the interfaces with biological media, and identify their interactions with molecules present in the digestive system (proteins, enzymes) or in cell walls (phospholipids), using adsorption isotherms, zeta potential measurements, and spectroscopic tools to probe the surface of the particles.

To go further : [TiO₂-Phospholipids], [E171 Caracterisation]

For several years, we are interested in the ability of cellulose nanocrystals to disperse carbon nanotubes in aqueous media by forming hybrids where the nanocrystals line up along the nanotubes. We have modeled the dispersion process.
From these hybrids, we have formed multilayer LBL films, Pickering emulsions and high porosity foams with controlled architecture that have multifunctional properties derived from those of nanocrystals or nanotubes.

To go further : [Dispersion], [Pickering emulsions], [LBL thin films]