A brief self-introduction of the group head by Prof. Dr. Jiandong DING

  Synthetic polymers and biomacromolecules share the same feather a chainlike topological structure of molecules, which accounts for complicated chain configurations of macromolecules and fruitful viscos-elastic behaviors in condensed states. Due to my special background (obtaining B.S in Department of Biology, M.S in Department of Materials Science, and Ph.D in Department of Macromolecular Science), the main research filed is naturally focused on polymeric biomedical materials after I became a main faculty member in Fudan University.

    It is a challenging field indeed, both in fundamental research and application. Degradable polymers are applied in the so-called Tissue Engineering, which is, as an alternative way for tissue and organ repair or regeneration, believed to be a milestone in Biology and Clinics in this century. A protein is employed to make functional materials, taking advantage of its pronounced response in vitro. Folding kinetics of proteins and chain dynamics are investigated. Water-soluble polymers such as those in hydrogels are found very interesting, especially when they exhibit some “intelligent” behaviors in biomaterials, proteins, hydrogels etc.

    Now, a group of intelligent young persons are enjoying the intelligence in Science and Technology, although they are sometimes annoyed in interpretation of the over-intelligent behaviors of their samples. It is an interdisciplinary research group with close cooperation with other research groups in Materials Science, Biology, Physics and Clinics. Polymer synthesis, physical characterization, computer simulation, cell culture and even some animal experiments concerning Molecular Biology are being performed and played by these wonderful young persons. We get to know that we are doing what we would like to do.