The Laboratory of Chemistry of Organic Polymers (LCPO) is a joint research unit affiliated to the CNRS, the University of Bordeaux, and the Institut Polytechnique de Bordeaux (http://www.lcpo.fr). The LCPO is organized into 4 research teams with a total strength of nearly 150 people, including about 50 permanent staff. With over 35 years of expertise in polymer chemistry, researches at LCPO aim at:
- developing innovative methodologies for precision synthesis of polymers, using in particular biomimetic and/or green chemistry pathways,
- designing functional polymer materials by macromolecular engineering and self-assembly, in the fields of renewable materials, health and energy,
- establishing strong links with the socio-economy world. The team "Self-assembly of Polymers and Life Sciences", involved in FORCE REPAIR, is headed by Prof. Sébastien Lecommandoux. His team explores the design of biomimetic and biofunctional nano- and microparticles, especially polymersomes, with the following main focus: 1/ synthesis and self-assembly of block copolymers based on polypeptides, polysaccharides and proteins, 2/ formulation of functional nanoparticles, including polymersomes, for the targeted delivery and controlled release of active ingredients (therapy and theranostic), 3/ design of artificial cells (protocells) as membrane models and biological factory.
Role within Force Repair
In FORCE REPAIR, our main task is to develop one component of the wound dressing, namely elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) promoting innervation and vascularization. For this goal, recombinantly-produced ELPs will be chemically post-modified to introduce bioactive peptide sequences and reactive groups for cross-linking purposes.
