Professor Guo has made groundbreaking contributions to the field of polyphenol-based materials science and engineering. His research has advanced the fundamental understanding of polyphenol chemistry and boosted the development of new materials as well as technologies for biomedicine, nanotechnology, environmental science, agriculture, and material science.

Professor Shi is director of the National Engineering Laboratory for Clean Technology of Leather Manufacture at Sichuan University and also serves as an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. He has authored or co-authored more than 500 papers and is active in leather organizations, a Past President of the IULTCS, a well-known contributor at international technical meetings and Congresses, and a sought after keynote speaker. He received IULTCS Merit Award in 2015.

Professor Liao obtained his Ph.D. degree in the Department of Leather Engineering at Sichuan University. His doctoral thesis was selected as one of the 100 outstanding doctoral thesis in 2006 by the Ministry of Education China. He has led a number of national research projects such as the National 973 (previous period), National 863, and the National Natural Science Foundation. The main research topics of Professor Liao is skin collagen chemistry and the engineering of collagen-derived functional materials.

Originally from the "Sunshine State" of the United States, Dr. Richardson has lived in Australia for the past 7 years first studying PhD in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Melbourne followed by employment at CSIRO and the University of Melbourne. Dr. Richardson has extensive experience in thin-film assembly methods, polymer and nanoparticle processing techniques, drug delivery, nano-biohybrid systems, and metal-organic frameworks.

Dr. Blaise Tardy is an Assistant Professor in Khalifa University. After graduating from EPFL (Switzerland), Dr. Blaise Tardy obtained his Ph.D. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from The University of Melbourne (Australia) and was a research fellow at Aalto University (Finland). His expertise includes colloidal science, multi-phase systems (emulsions and foams), polymer science, bioengineering, and bio-based materials. This wide range of backgrounds helps the creation of a frame of multidisciplinary research in BMI. 

Stimuli-responsive polymers have been widely investigated in drug release, biosensors, actuators and nanoreactors owing to their “smart” responsiveness to external stimuli, such as light, temperature, enzymes, pH, gases, etc. My research interests focus on the synthesis of amphiphilic copolymers applying in insulin delivery and gas sensing. Additionally, biomass-based actuators and sensors fabricated from hydrogels and nanofibers are included in my research projects.

Skin collagen as structural protein has unique hierarchically fibrous structure and high chemical reactivity. My research focuses on exploiting its strong structural and chemical basis for developing novel collagen-based composite materials with special structure and new functionalities. Particularly, I am interested in applying these new functional materials in lithium storage, electromagnetic absorption, and thermal camouflage.

Nanobiohybrid materials have emerged as an exciting system in material engineering and biological science. My research focuses on polyphenol-functionalized polymers for biohybrid materials, which include precise synthesis of polymers, polyphenol functionalization, and cellular behavior exploration. In addition, to construct novel functional biohybrid systems with inorganic materials are also included

Organometallics or organometallics contained materials that illustrated high potential in different areas like pollutant disposal, energy storage, and drug development. The organic ligands play key roles in the functionalization of organometallics or organometallics materials. In my research, new organometallics or organometallic materials were prepared with special organic ligands, there physicochemical property and function were fully explored.

My research focuses on target gene activation via CRISPR/Cas9-mediated trans-epigenetic modulation. The versatile and efficient CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene activation system holds great promise, both as a tool for in vivo biomedical research and as a targeted epigenetic approach for treating a wide range of human diseases.

Catalyst affects reaction rate by changing activation energy of reactants, which earns it the indispensable status in more than 90% of the chemical production processes. My research focuses on developing high activity and highly selective catalysts for electrochemical sensor, electrocatalytic reduction reaction and advanced oxidation process. Particularly, I am interested in chemical bond activation by directional constructing catalyst with the multi-scale precision control method of phase structure (crystal form), surface chemistry (coordination, defect) and physical structure (pore structure).

Mr. Chen has rich experience in diverse fields of natural disaster prevention and control, sales, medical treatment, clinical research and health management. He has craving for the translation of nature-derived biomass nanomaterials into different fields, such as new energy, cosmeceuticals and clinical medicine. He insists that the natural materials are worth to explore and have great potentials in improving daily life.

The companion of BMI members on their research path. My role is to be responsible for non-academic affairs of the BMI Center, such as daily administration, lab culture building, office environment maintenance, personnel management, external liaison, meeting organization, etc. To interpret my own role and realize the value of life, I  carry out my work with passion, kindness, honesty and perseverance. Meanwhile，I will try my best to contribute to the team.

Affinity chromatography possesses enormous potential as a purification technique for biochemicals such as antibodies, enzymes and other proteins. However, hurdles of cost, reusability and purification capacity limit its industrial applications. In my research (ongoing), by utilizing collagens as chromatographic matrix and optimizing the ligands and processing, we aim to improve the binding capacity, lifetime and yield of affinity chromatography, which is crucial for industrial-scale applications.

A low calcination temperature was inclined to be more flexible in composite inorganic functional material synthesis. In my research, an in-situ carbon-introduction catalyst (F-C/TiO2) with well visible-light response was prepared by facile sol-gel method at a relatively low calcination temperature. A synergetic system, referred to as Fe&F-C/TiO2, was then obtained, which was supposed to combine the photocatalysis with the Fenton-like effect and to enhance the detoxication of persistent pollutants in water.

Antibacterial hydrogels are capable of self-healing face acute defects of low mechanical property, limited self-healing ability, potential cytotoxicity, and poor recyclability. In my research, the hydrogels based on fully physical crosslinking are prepared by using multiple dynamic non-covalent interactions, which open a new avenue to fabricate hydrogels with outstanding mechanical properties and multi-functionality synchronously.

Chinese wine is brewed by a fermentation process of natural inoculation, which involves a variety of microorganisms with different functions. My research mainly focuses on the microbial community succession and core functional microorganisms in the process of solid-state brewing. In addition, the trace components of strong-flavor wine are also studied, which include the unknown trace components, the change of trace components in the process of Chinese wine collection, and the rapid identification of strong-flavor baijiu of different brands.

The worldwide surge in obesity prevalence has caused an increase in a suite of obesity-related diseases/comorbidities. However, current treatment options for weight management are difficult to achieve and there are multiple barriers to effective long-term weight management care. Accordingly, it is a need to find an alternative candidate to break the existing bottlenecks. My current research focuses on utilizing superabsorbent hydrogel technology as an efficient and biocompatible method for weight management.

Naturally occurring biomacromolecules such as polysaccharides, proteins, and nucleic acids have attracted scientific interest due to their intrinsic biocompatibility and biodegradability. Covalently grafting exogenous motifs to biomacromolecules can induce designed functionality. Polyphenols possess affinities and potentials without affecting structures or morphologies. My research focuses on the interactions between polyphenols and biomacromolecules, to endow biomacromolecules with rationally designed functionalities without changes in properties.

Collagen and collagen-based materials illustrate excellently properties such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, and assembly-disassembly, which make it a unique and potential material in the fields of materials science, biomedical, and biosensors. My interest is introducing bioactive factors or polyphenols into collagen self-assembly systems to form collagen-functionalized complexes and explore their unique biomedical applications.

Manipulating the surface chemical properties of materials by interface chemical mechanism provides promise for biomedical, catalytic, and photoelectric applications.   Metal-phenolic networks (MPNs) composed of polyphenols and metal ions allow for the versatile engineering of functional surfaces and particles. My research interests focus on the synthesis and application of organic/inorganic biohybrid materials based on MPNs and further exploration of their interface chemistry.

The integration of functional materials and biological systems opens up a new way to control biological functions. Metal-phenolic networks (MPNs) have been widely used in biotechnology and biomedical fields due to their high biocompatibility, universal adhesion, and flexibility of in-situ assembly. My research interests focus on ionic liquid-assisted under-skin therapy-in situ assembly of MPNs in the dermis and MPNs-coated reusable gene transcription method.

Metal-phenolic networks (MPNs) are able to form functional films on various substrates with broad application prospects in the fields of drug delivery and catalysis. My research focuses on the development of multifunctional surface for the biomedical field through MPNs. On the other hand, the characterization of MPNs with high-energy laser is also my concern. It will help us explore the mechanism of MPN film formation.

Metal-phenolic networks (MPNs) are hybrid materials prepared by the coordination of various metal ions to naturally-occurring polyphenols, which could be used as functional building blocks and assemble into a variety of structural materials. These class of materials have drawn great interest in biomedicine due to their high biocompatibility, such as drug delivery, bio-catalysis, and bio-imaging. My research focuses on the preparation of functional MPN-based nanomaterials to achieve advanced properties in diagnosis, therapy, and active targeting.

Recent rapid developments in electronics and automobile batteries have boosted demands on lithium and caused shortages. Therefore, there is an urgent need for alternative, non-polluting, highly efficient, and cost-effective techniques for lithium extraction. Due to the unique chelation interaction, crown ether-based adsorptive separation membranes showed high affinity and specific selectivity for host lithium ions. My current study aims to synthesize a polyphenol-based crown ether material for highly efficient extracting lithium ions, which will assist to explore the applications of polyphenols in energy and environment fields.

The multiple hydroxyl groups on natural polyphenols provide ideal scenarios in establishing kinds of noncovalent interactions and dynamic covalent bondings as well as metal-organic coordination interactions for supramolecular structural variations. My research focuses on small drugs assembly strategies mediated by natural polyphenols that enable robust fabrications of supramolecular nanomedicines for efficient delivery and controlled release at target sites.

Water scarcity is one of the most pressing global challenges due to its effects on public health and the environment. As a biomaterial, polyphenols are abundant in nature, biocompatible, biodegradable, and capable of assembly through different mechanisms. My research focuses on the sustainable removal of contaminants and safe, clean, and adequate water supply for the water treatment field through the action of polyphenols.

Currently MPNs require particles or other substances to be used as templates for self-assembly and then the templates are removed. Existing research suggests that the formation of ice crystals during ice recrystallisation can provide ideas for the fabrication of porous materials, which has inspired my project. I am currently exploring the role of ice templates on MPN structure and investigating new pathways for MPN formation.

Cotton fabric has been widely used in apparel, domestic, and industrial fields for its softness, comfortability, and breathability. However, cotton fabric is susceptible to burn and causes fire accidents, limiting further application. My research focuses on the development of formaldehyde-free efficient and durable flame retardant and the discussion of flame-retardant mechanism, which could endow high flame retardancy to cotton fabric and make it full of new vitality.

With the massive use of lithium-ion batteries in the field of electric energy and energy storage, the environmental and resource problems are becoming more and more prominent. It is important to recover the valuable metal green from the waste lithium-ion batteries. The recycling process of used lithium batteries is mainly wet recycling, which is prone to acid-base pollution, high wastewater discharge and high post-treatment costs. My research focuses on the use of polyphenols for the separation and recovery of lithium battery metal elements to achieve low-cost processing, selective recovery and improved recovery of valuable metals.

Black phosphorus (BP), also known as phosphorene, has attracted recent scientific attention since its first successful exfoliation in 2014 owing to its unique structure and properties, which make it a potential platform for biomedical applications compared to other 2D materials, including graphene, molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), et. al. Although the outlook of this material seems promising, its practical applications are still highly challenging due to its poor stability. My research focuses on the surface modification of black phosphorus, so as to improve its stability and realize its application in drug delivery.

On account of the non-biodegradable of oil-based plastics, the “white” pollution crisis was awarded as an urgent problem to be addressed. Natural biomass materials have been regarded as the most promising candidate to replace oil-based materials used in various fields. My current research aims to fabricate transparent plastics derived from biomass materials. Such research opens up a new direction for the development of natural materials with prominent multifunctionality, which is comparable to commercial plastics.

The decline in fertility, which has given rise to serious social and economic problems, has become one of the most concerning issues. My current research aims in reproductive-related clinical issues, combined with multi-functional polyphenol materials, to explore more effective prevention or treatment methods for the emergence of antiphospholipid syndrome during pregnancy and serious problems of In vitro fertilization-embryo transplantation, such as embryo loss, ectopic pregnancy, etc., and then improve the current situation of declining fertility rates

The synthesis of biomaterials with good performance through nanotechnology provides a new therapeutic idea for clinical treatment, which will produce unimaginable therapeutic effects. My research interest is to use biostatistics research methods to explore the therapeutic effects of novel materials combined with biomedicine, and to provide suggestions for the high-yield direction of clinical treatment and nanomaterials.

Human fertility preservation is particularly important due to occasional diseases, aggressive drug use, and external pressures. My research focuses on the preparation of functional, biocompatible, and adhesive polyphenolic biomaterials to solve reproductive science problems, and apply them to female contraception and follicular in vitro maturation and other fields to help the integration of medicine and engineering.

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthropathy disease in worldwide and has been recently designated as a serious disease by the FDA. Osteoarthritis can cause unacceptable levels of pain, dysfunction, and reduced quality of life for patients. However, its effective treatment is still highly challenging. My research focuses on the use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) combined with multi-functional polyphenol materials to explore more effective management of osteoarthritis.

Applications of Metal-Phenolic networks are limited by the single driven force between metal ions and phenolic building blocks. My current research focuses on designing a universal platform to introduce multiple assembly strategies to customize metal-phenolic networks by rationally designing building blocks.

Metal ions and polyphenols can be conveniently and quickly self-assembled into Metal-Phenolic Networks (MPN). Its simple and green assembly process and the formation of functional membranes on surfaces make it prominent in biomimetics, materials science, drug delivery, and biomedical fields. My research direction is to combine Metal-Phenolic Networks with nutrient modifications for targeted transport, release and treatment, etc.

Deep learning is a method of machine learning based on neural networks. Deep learning has been shown to perform better than traditional machine learning algorithms on many computer vision tasks, such as classification, segmentation, and detection. My research focuses on automatic disease diagnosis based on deep learning methods, and I’m trying to find the integration of my professional ability and BMI platform.

Protein-phenolic networks (PPNs) are protein-assembly strategies through the interfacial assembly of proteins/polypeptides and naturally-occurring polyphenols. These class of materials have drawn great interest in protein-delivery materials for efficient delivery and controlled release at target sites, which could be used as versatile surface modification strategies. My research focuses on the versatile polyphenol-mediated coating strategies to achieve advanced properties in orthopedic devices and dental implants.

As the sixth most common human disease, periodontitis is a chronic non-communicable disease with a high prevalence. It's featured by irreversible damage of periodontal tissues, ultimately resulting in loss of tooth. Immune microenvironment plays a critical role in the pathogenesis and development of periodontitis, and immunotherapy is promising in promoting periodontal regeneration. My research focuses on innovative use of MPN-based modifications of immune cells for the therapy of periodontitis.

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Intrauterine adhesions (IUA) and premature ovarian failure (POF) are great threats to female reproduction.Its correlated infertility may be one of the most challenging problems.Various approaches have been employed to treat IUA and POF, however with limited success. With the development of regenerative medicine, human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) therapy brings new prospects for IUA and POF. The combination strategy that using multi-functional polyphenol materials as the delivery therapy methods and bioactive scaffold-based tissue engineering methods might provide payload, proliferation, and long-term release of stem cells to treat IUA and POF.

Catechins are a class of bioactive substances rich in tea, with antioxidant, antitumor, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory functions. However, the low bioavailability of catechins limits the application of catechins in new biomedical materials. My interest aims on the construction of new biomaterials based on polyphenol via designing catechins as ligands and combining self-assembly-disassembly technologies to solve the problem of low bioavailability of catechins.

The clinical problems of postoperative nerve adhesion, implant-associated infection, and malignant bone tumor have entered a bottleneck. New treatment strategies based on their basic research are urgently needed. Metal-phenol network (MPNs) is a new organic-inorganic hybrid system, which has been widely concerned in the basic research of drug delivery and tumor therapy, and is expected to be a powerful toolbox to solve the above problems. My interests focus on the development of innovative MPN-based biofilms for tumor drug delivery, implant anti-infection, and anti-adhesion.

Temporomandibular osteoarthritis (TMJOA) is a kind of chronic degenerative diseases characterized by chondrocyte apoptosis, extracellular matrix degradation, synovitis, and subchondral bone remodeling. Patients suffering from TMJOA frequently have joint noise, chewing dysfunction, and pain during jaw movement, which affect quality of life. My research currently focuses on polyphenol-based hydrogels for drug delivery in the treatment of TMJOA.

Osteoarthritis(OA) is a common but complicated disease. Joints (such as knee joint, temporomandibular joint) are subjected to complicated types of mechanical stress loadings during movement. Abnormal stress loading, especially prolonged or excessive mechanical force, has been considered a major contributor to the initiation of OA. My research focuses on the OA pathogenesis based on abnormal stress loading, and I want to provide new ideas for early intervention of OA through the support and cooperation of BMI platform.

Stimuli-responsive polymer is a kind of macromolecular system with "intelligent" behavior, which has broad application prospects in the fields of nano-materials science, life science and clinical medicine. My research aims on the preparation and characterization of multi-responsive materials used for biosensors and actuators, combining with modification strategy of the natural biomass materials. Such research opens up a new direction for the development of natural materials with outstanding properties and multi-functionality.

Carbon dots are non-toxic and biocompatible carbon materials that have promising application potentials due to their adjustable fluorescence emission, broad source of raw materials, and easy preparation. I would like to use plant polyphenols to prepare carbon dots, retaining the excellent properties of polyphenols while bringing into play the excellent optical properties of carbon dots to prepare new fluorescent materials and energy transfer intermediates.

Benifiting from the sustainability, environmental-friendly, and biodegradability of natural biomass materials, biomass materials (such as starch, cellulose, polyphenol, and etc.) have been regarded as the most promising candidate to replace oil-based materials used in various fields. In my research, some functional materials derived from biomass materials via modification strategy or composite technology are utilized to be carriers of drugs for the treatment of iron-deficiency anemia.