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Interdisciplinary COIN research advances biocompatible copolymer design

New publication from COIN Members about tuneable, biocompatible copolymers
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„Reproduced from M. Ringleb, M. Streiber, T. M. Lutz, L. Rother, E. Bachinger, J. De Breuck, C. Kuenneth, U. S. Schubert, S. Zechel, A. Traeger and M. N. Leiske, RSC Appl. Polym., 2026, DOI: 10.1039/D5LP00376H with permission from the Royal Society of Chemistry.”

Image: Ringleb et al 2026, DOI: 10.1039/D5LP00376H

A team consisting of COIN members has published a new study in RSC Applied Polymers, presenting an innovative strategy for designing tuneable, biocompatible copolymers for potential biomedical applications.

The article, entitled “Design of tuneable, biocompatible anionic polymers by L-norvaline amino acid post-polymerisation modification of pentafluorophenyl acrylate copolymers”External link  , utilizes a versatile chemical platform enabling a precise tailoring of the copolymer properties. By modifying pentafluorophenyl acrylate copolymers with the naturally occurring amino acid L-norvaline, the team created a library of anionic copolymers whose amphiphilic balance was systematically adjusted.

(Co-)Polymers play a central role in modern biomedical technologies, from drug delivery systems to advanced biomaterials. However, achieving both biocompatibility and controlled functionality remains a major challenge. The approach presented in this study enabled fine-tuning of material properties while maintaining good compatibility with biological systems.

Initial biological investigations demonstrated promising cell compatibility and cellular uptake behaviour for selected polymer structures. These findings suggest strong potential for future applications in areas such as targeted drug delivery and biofunctional materials.

The study was carried out as an interdisciplinary collaboration combining expertise in polymer chemistry, material, computational and biological science. Within this joint effort, first author and associate COIN member Michael Ringleb intensively cooperates with several teams of COIN, i.e. Prof. Dr. Meike N. Leiske, Prof. Dr. Ulrich S. Schubert and Prof. Dr. Christopher Künneth.

This work exemplifies how interdisciplinary collaboration within COIN enables the development of innovative material platforms at the interface of different disciplines.

The article is available online in RSC Applied Polymers: https://doi.org/10.1039/D5LP00376HExternal link.