Our scientific approach is rooted in biomimicry, as we design synthetic analogs of natural macromolecules (such as proteins and glycoproteins) and investigate their controlled, tunable self-assembly into structures resembling those found in nature, such as viruses or cell membranes. Within this framework, we develop polymer-based self-assembled nanoparticles, primarily polymeric vesicles, known as polymersomes.
Here, we provide an overview of the self-assembly of amphiphilic block copolymers, with a focus on polypeptide- and protein-based systems, and their contributions to nanomedicine. Additionally, we present our latest advances in engineering complex, multi-component, multi-scale, and compartmentalized functional artificial cells. These systems mark an initial step toward the structural and functional mimicry of living cells, with the potential to autonomously detect and repair biological dysregulations in situ.