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Welcome to the Sustainable and Functional Polymers Group!

The Leiske research group focuses on synthesis and characterisation of sustainable and functional polymer materials. We design new materials from natural resources and analyse them using state of the art equipment. Tailoring the interaction of bioderived polymers with cells and biological matter is one of the major goals of our research.

Interested in Polymer Science?

Please also check out our polymer science related study programs at University of Bayreuth.

B.Sc. Polymer & Colloid Chemistry (taught in German). Flyer can be found here.

M.Sc. Polymer Science (taught in English). Flyer can be found here.

News

2025

May 1st: After their time as student assistants, Elisa, Samuel and Christian decided to stay with us for a bit longer. Samuel will work on designing polymeric additives for commercial plastics. Elisa will work on her bachelor thesis on biological properties of polymeric additives for microplastics prevention. Christian will work on the synthesis and characterisation of amino-acid-derived polyzwitterions. Welcome back Elisa, Samuel and Christian!

April 28th: Paper alert! The copolymerization performance of 2-cyclopropyl-2-oxazoline and 2-cyclopropyl-2-oxazine contributes to tunable temperature-responsive (co)polymer characteristics was accepted for publication in Journal of Polymer Science. Congrats to Katja and Theresa for the great team-work!

Apr 1st: Simon joins us for a lab internship on microplastics. Welcome Simon!

Mar 27th: Theresa's first paper since her start with us is accepted in Macromolecular Rapid Communications: Bio-Inspired, Zwitterionic Copolymers with Amphiphilic Character

Mar 1st: Lena joins us as student assistant to work on the characterisatio of polycations. Welcome back Lena!

Feb 1st: Katja and Christian join us as student assistants. Katja will work on the synthesis and characterisation of poly(2-oxazoline)s and Christian will work on the synthesis and characterisation of zwitterionic polymers. Welcome (back) Katja and Christian!

Jan 13th: Johannes starts his bachelor thesis on zwitterionic nanoparticles. Welcome Johannes!

Jan 9th: Samuel joins us as student assistant working on the synthesis and characterisation of poly(2-oxazolines). Welcome Samuel!

Jan 7th: Maria starts her bachelor thesis on cationic polymers. Welcome back Maria!

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2024

Nov 26th: Publication alert! Our review The whole is greater than the sum of its parts - Challenges and Perspectives of Polyelectrolytes is now published in ACS Bioamacromolecules.

Nov 18th: COIN - Copolymer Inforomatics: Blending digital technologies and copolymer chemistry from design to application was approved for funding by the German Research Foundation (DFG). The research training group between the University of Jena and the University of Bayreuth will start in 2025.

Nov 12th: Dr Anja Träger from FSU Jena visits us to give a lecture as part of the Macromolecular Colloquium at UBT.

Oct 16th: Meike presents the group's work in water-soluble polymers at the SEPAWA congress 2024.

Sept 23rd: Jonas's second paper is accepted in Macromolecular Rapid Communications: Zwitterionic Amino-Acid-Derived Polyacrylamides with a Betaine Twist – Synthesis and Characterization

Sept 17th: Meike is invited to present the group's research at the GDCh conference of the division of macromolecular chemistry in Dresden.

Sept 10th: Jiaxin decided to stay with us for her PhD thesis on polymer nanostructures by polymerisation-induced self-assembly. Welcome back Jiaxin!

Sept 2nd: Meike presents the group's research at the 15th International Symposium on Ionic Polymerization (IP'24) in Mainz.

July 16th: Dr Nathan Boase from Queensland University of Technology visits us to give a lecture as part of the Macromolecular Colloquium at UBT.

July 15th: Maria joins us for a research project as preparation for her bachelor thesis next semester. Welcome back Maria!

July 1st: Jonas presents a poster at the IUPAC Macro 2024 in Warwick and wins the ACS poster prize. Congrats Jonas!

July 1st: Elisa joins us as student assistant. Welcome Elisa!

June 1st: Theresa joins us as postdoctoral researcher to work on a project of the SFB1357 Microplastic in our team. Welcome Theresa!

May 20th: A newspaper interview is published in Meike's hometown.

May 14th: Meike presents the group's research at BASF in Ludwigshafen in a Let's Talk R&D session.

Apr 29th: Natascha joins us for her bachelor thesis on polyzwitterions. Welcome Natascha!

Apr 15th: Lena joins us for her bachelor thesis on polyanions. Katja joins us for her bachelor thesis on thermoresponsive poly(cyclo imino ethers). Welcome Lena and Katja!

Apr 1st: Meike is now member of the scientific advisory board of the GDCh division of detergent chemistry.

Mar 18th: We are delighted to have received funding from the SFB/TRR225 (Biofabrication), enabling us to intensify collaborations within this excellent collaborative research center.

Mar 7th: Meike is invited to present the group's work on amino-acid-derived polyelectrolytes at the Materials Science and Engineering Department at Monash University.

Mar 5th: The German Research Foundation grants our project "Design of amino-acid-derived zwitterionic polymers with cellular specificty". Stay tuned for updates on this project.

Feb 26th: Jonas presents his work on zwitterionic copolymers at the Macromolecular Symposium in Freiburg as poster presenter.

Feb 20th: Meike presents the group's work at the 38th Australasian Polymer Symposium as Keynote Speaker.

Feb 16th: Meike is now a member of the RSC family, by being selected as member of the advisory board of RSC Applied Polymers

Feb 8th: Jonas's first paper is accepted in ACS Polymers Au: Amino-acid-derived anionic polyacrylamides with tailored hydrophobicity - physiochemical properties and cellular interactions

Feb 2nd: Meike is now of officially a member of the ACS family, by being selected in the Early Career Board of ACS Biomacromolecules

Jan 22nd: Bianca joins us for a research project. Welcome Bianca!

Jan 8th: Max joins us for a research project. Welcome Max!

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2023

Dec 1st: Maria joins us as student assistant. Welcome Maria!

Nov 29th: Jiaxin joins us for her master thesis on novel zwitterionic polymers. Welcome Jiaxin!

Oct: Meike is now a member of the SFB/TRR225 (Biofabrication)

Oct: We are moving into our own labs. Stay tuned for updates in the Galery section soon.

Oct 1st: Martina joins our group as lab assistant. Welcome Martina!

Sep 17th: For the next 3 days, Bayreuth University will host the Bayreuth Polymer Symposium. Jonas presents a poster and Meike gives a talk about the group's research on amino-acid-derived polymers.

Aug: Jan-Luca joins us for a research project. Welcome Jan-Luca!

Aug: Katja joins us as student assistant. Welcome Katja!

Jul 31st: Paper accepted in Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics: Amphiphilic zwitterionic bioderived block copolymers from glutamic acid and cholesterol - Ability to form nanoparticles and serve as vectors for the delivery of 6-mercaptopurine

Jul 18th: Adrian Press visits us to give a seminar as part of the Macromolecular Colloquium

Jul: Natascha joins us as student assistant. Welcome Natascha!

Jul: Meike is now a member of the Jena-Bayreuth Joint Lab for Polymers.

Jul: Meike is now a member of the Bavarian Polymer Institute.

May: Alexander joins us for his bachelor thesis. Welcome Alexander!

May: The group receives funding from the 'Fonds der chemischen Industrie im Verband der chemischen Industrie' to support their work.

May 11th: Meike gives her inaugural lecture at University of Bayreuth

Apr: Jessica joins us for a research project. Welcome Jessica!

Feb: Meike presents the group's work on amino-acid-derived polyzwitterions at the Macromolecular Colloquium Freiburg