Polypeptide polymers are an emerging class of materials interfacing synthetic and natural materials. They have attracted increasing attention owing to their structures that are analogous to those of proteins. Moreover, they are known for their biocompatibility, biodegradability and versatility compared to other class of polymers used in the design of nanoparticles, gels or other biomaterials. However, the use of polypeptides remains an ambitious challenge for several biomedical purposes, due to the need of specifically engineer the polymer structure to fulfill all the requirements needed in drug delivery, tissue engineering, implants, etc… Optimizing the development of these polymers in the biomaterials sector thus requires: (i) improving their sustainable production; (ii) gaining a better understanding of their biodegradation and toxicology profiles; (iii) adopting an integrated approach focused on a specific therapy.
In close collaboration with a pharma company, this PhD aims at synthesizing multiblock peptidic copolymers to achieve the design of new stimuli-responsive compositions that will further control the drug release of key therapeutics.
