The 2011 Workshop on ‘Biomaterials and Their Interactions with Biological and Model Membranes’ took place in Salou, Spain from 19-23 September 2011. Co-organised by Dr Rongjun Chen from the University of Leeds, with colleagues from the Universities of Cambridge, Manchester and Rovira i Virgilli, Spain, this event was partially supported by the WUN Leeds Fund for International Research Collaborations (FIRC).
The workshop focussed on the interaction of natural and synthetic nano-objects with cell membranes. These nano-objects, ranging from naturally-occurring simple molecules and polymer chains to artificial objects such as nano-tubes, could be used as a way of delivering substances to the interior of a living cell. Understanding and controlling these interactions would lead to technological advances in many areas, such as biomedical engineering, biosensor development, drug delivery and nanomedicine, and personal products/cosmetics.
45 leading scientists and experts from numerous locations attended the workshop, including WUN partners Leeds and Auckland and other institutions in Europe, Australia and India. Participants from chemistry, physics, biology, engineering and industry gave the meeting a truly multidisciplinary environment.
If you would like to get involved in this ongoing collaboration, please contact Kirsty Mattinson, k.a.mattinson@adm.leeds.ac.uk.
