March 2025 – Dominik starts as a MSc student. He will dig into error sources in single-molecule force spectroscopy experiments and support us with setting up new data analysis procedures. Welcome!

Feb 2025 – Young woman interested in science and technology visit our lab as part of the Fem in Tech information event about STEM degree programs at JKU. We hope you enjoyed our rheology experiments of shaving foam (and our link to tissue mechanics) and that you consider studying a STEM subject.

Jan 2025 – Leonhard Grill, opens an external URL in a new window from the University of Graz is visiting us. We really enjoyed the lecture about synthetic molecular switches and motors.

Jan 2025 – Peter Košovan, opens an external URL in a new window from Charles University in Prague is visiting us. It was exciting to learn about simulation methods for electrostatic interactions and their use in polymer materials.

Jan 2025 – We are excited to have contributed to an editorial in RSC Mechanochemistry, opens an external URL in a new window, outlining the state-of-the-art and future potential of Mechanochemistry. Check it out!

Dec 2024 – We are honored that our News & Views article, opens an external URL in a new window about artificial catch bonds if published in Nature Chemistry. We congratulate the authors of the original paper (van Galen et al., opens an external URL in a new window) on their exciting work!

Nov 2024 – The JKU DocFund proposal is funded by the Austrian Science Fund. It will allow us to establish a collaboration between the Faculties of Engineering & Natural Sciences and Medicine to bring single-molecule methods into preclinical research. We are very much looking forward to this exciting collaboration!

Oct 2024 – Lada starts as a BSc student. She will investigate strategies to recombinantly express coiled coil fusion proteins. Welcome!

Oct 2024 – Ynia starts as a BSc student. She will support our coiled coil force sensor project. Welcome!

Sept 2024 – With her poster “Understanding Biodegradation of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET): a Biophysical Approach”, Laura wins the poster prize at the Annual Meeting of the Austrian Physical Society. Congratulations!

Sept 2024 – Tanja starts as a PostDoc. As a chemist, she will dive into our hydrogel projects and set up new methods for analyzing structure-property relationships. Welcome and enjoy your time with the Physicists!

August 2024 – Laura starts as a PhD student. We are excited that she is back to support us with our project on coiled coil-based molecular force sensors. Welcome back!

August 2024 – Maria-Jose starts as a BSc student. She will investigate new variants of our magnetite-binding proteins. Welcome!

July 2024 – Kerstin chairs the Gordon Research Conference on Multiscale Mechanochemistry and Mechanobiology, opens an external URL in a new window at Bates College in Maine, USA. Russell is elected as chair of the Gordon Research Seminar in 2026. Congratulations!

July 2024 – Laura defends her MSc thesis with the title „Biodegradation of poly(ethylene terephthalate) via selected PETase enzymes“. Congratulations!

June 2024 – Julian defends his MSc thesis with the title „Tuning the viscoelastic properties of coiled coil cross-linked hydrogels using histidine-Co2+/3+ coordination, opens an external URL in a new window“. Congratulations!

June 2024 – Lorenz defends his MSc thesis with the title “Mad10 self-assembles into quaternary structures and displays strong magnetite-binding affinity, opens an external URL in a new window“. Congratulations!

May 2024 – Stefanie starts as our first PhD student. She will investigate mesoscale structure-function relations of hydrogels. Welcome!

March 2024 – Our collaborative paper with Niels Holten-Andersen, David Kaplan and Markus Buehler is accepted in ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, opens an external URL in a new window. We used AFM and molecular dynamics simulations to investigate cooperative metal ion-binding on polypeptide templates.

March 2024 – Kerstin is elected as the speaker of the Biological Physics section of the German Physical Society. Congratulations on this important job!

February 2024 – The review with Roel Hammink, Paul Kouwer and Susana Rocha is published in Cell Reports Physical Science, opens an external URL in a new window. It provides a comprehensive overview of the biomedical applications of polyisocyanopeptides.

February 2024 – The rheometer is installed and we know how it works. Looking forward to measuring squishy things again!

January 2024 – Philipp Thurner, opens an external URL in a new window from Vienna University of Technology is visiting us. We really enjoyed the lecture about multiscale collagen mechanics.

November 2023 – Thorsten is starting as our new team assistant. We are very much looking forward to working with you!

August 2023 – Our new AFM is delivered and installed. Now we can really get started.

July 2023 – Nadja has new plans and is leaving our group… Thank you very much for your tremendous support with setting up nearly everything (incl. the necessary detective work)!

June 2023 – Bodo Wilts, opens an external URL in a new window from Paris Lodron University Salzburg is visiting us. Thank you for many colorful insights into photonic crystals of insects.

April 2023 – Geonho is leaving us after taking on the challenge of moving from Potsdam to the empty lab in Linz. We wish him all the best for continuing his career in Korea!

March 2023 – Our paper from a collaboration with Cecile Bidan about mineralized E. coli biofilms is accepted in Chemistry of Materials, opens an external URL in a new window.

March 2023 – Our collaborative paper with Arun Sampathkumar and Kim Johnson is accepted in Frontiers in Plant Science, opens an external URL in a new window. We used AFM to determine the mechanical properties of plant cell walls.

March 2023 – Our collaborative paper with Ana Vila Verde and Angelo Valleriani about single-molecule force spectroscopy of long coiled coils is accepted in Macromolecular Bioscience, opens an external URL in a new window. Congratulations Anna-Maria and Zeynep!

February 2023 – Russell is awarded a MSCA fellowship. He is planning to develop new applications of our molecular force sensors. Congratulations!

January 2023 – Our paper about the influence of metal ions on the viscoelastic properties of E. coli biofilms is published in ACS Omega, opens an external URL in a new window. Thanks, Cecile Bidan for the excellent collaboration! Congratulations, Adrien!

December 2022 – Laura starts as a MSc student. In collaboration with the department of Sabine Hild, she will investigate PET-degrading enzymes with AFM. Welcome!

November 2022 – Kerstin presents her inaugural lecture with the title “Mechanical Engineering of Proteins“. A great opportunity to end the day with a lab opening party!

October 2022 – Julian starts as a MSc student. He will also work on a hydrogel project investigate how crosslink functionality affects the viscoelastic properties of coiled coil crosslinked hydrogels. It is great to see the group growing!

October 2022 – Lorenz starts as a MSc student. He will investigate how protein aggregation and protein-induced mineralization will affect the properties of protein-polymer hybrid hydrogels. Welcome!

September 2022 – The great day has come… our lab furniture is finally being delivered. Soon, we will no longer have to live on a construction site!

September 2022 – Kerstin is elected as deputy speaker of the Biophysics section of the German Physical Society. Looking forward to exciting times ahead!

July 2022 – Kerstin serves as the vice chair of the inaugural Gordon Research Conference on Multiscale Mechanochemistry & Mechanobiology, opens an external URL in a new window in Ventura, California. We are super happy that we have contributed to making this happen!

May 2022 – Geonho moves from MPI to JKU. Now as a PostDoc, he will set up rheology of our peptide-polymer hybrid hydrogels and finish all the exciting projects from his PhD in Potsdam. Welcome in Linz!

April 2022 – Geonho defends his PhD thesis about how to obtain bottom-up control of peptide-polymer hybrid hydrogels. Congratulations!

March 2022 – Russell starts as our first PostDoc. He will continue our work on molecular force sensors for mammalian cell culture and transfer all the methods from the MPI to JKU. Welcome at JKU!

October 2021 – Nadja starts as the administrative assistant of the new group. We are very happy to have support for navigating all the unknowns of starting at a new university in a new country. Welcome!

October 2021 – Marlene starts as the technical assistant of the new group. She will support us with converting empty offices into our new labs. Thank you very much already in advance!

October 2021 – The new group officially starts at JKU Linz. Exciting times ahead…