ABOUT
OUR HISTORY
The Biomaterials & Bioengineering laboratory was set up in Strasbourg in 1995 under the name « Biomaterials ». Currently, the lab is under the joint supervision of Inserm, of CNRS and the University of Strasbourg.
Today, we are based at 3 sites in Strasbourg : the Strasbourg Biomedicine Research Center (CRBS), the Faculty of Dental Surgery and the Faculty of Pharmacy.
The Unit has a total staff of between 60 and 70, including 23 researchers and teacher-researchers, 5 engineers and 5 technicians, all Inserm, CNRS or Unistra personnel.
In addition, there are post-docs, PhD students, contract engineers and technicians, and numerous trainees6
OUR TEAM
Heads of Research Areas
Philippe LAVALLE
Directeur de recherche
Dr. Philippe Lavalle holds a PhD degree in Biophysics in 1998 from University of Strasbourg (France). Then he moved to the Biozentrum in Basel (Switzerland) to study antifreeze glycoproteins. He got the position of "Research Director" at Institut National de la Recherche Médicale (Inserm) in 2011. Since 2024, he is director of the Inserm lab "Biomaterials and Bioengineering" in Strasbourg. Its expertise is in the field of materials for health and more particularly in biomaterials. His research focuses more particularly on surface modifications by antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and/or antiviral coatings and hydrogels based on biopolymers. Materials designed with natural components (proteins, peptides...) and using biomimicry approaches are also at the heart of his research. He has applied for 7 patents and published more than 120 peer-reviewed publications. His team has been involved in 7 European Projects and 6 ANR (French funding agency for research) programs. He co-funded the company SPARTHA Medical, devoted to produce antimicrobial and personalized coatings. Hi is also member of the management committee of the Carnot Institute MICA.
Florent MEYER
PU/PH
My research activity is devoted to tissue engineering. As biomaterial researcher, holding a PhD in molecular and cellular biology, I work on both aspects': material development for tissue engineering and cellular signaling guiding cell chemotaxis and differentiation.
I am a qualified dental surgeon since 2001 and therefor my research projects are driven by clinical problems more specifically those day, the tissue engineering of dental pulp. I am interested in the development of cell homing strategies (see ANR Project RooTRaCe). I try to connect fundamental research, clinic, and industrial partner in a bench to bed approach.
- Email:fmeyer@unistra.fr
Vincent BALL
PU
I obtained my PhD degree in physical chemistry from the Université Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, in 1996. Then I got a post doc position at Biozentrum in Basel. My research activities were then oriented to fundamental aspects of protein dynamics at interfaces. I then got an assistant professor position (1997-2005) and a full professor position at the Université de Strasbourg (2005-). Since then, my research activities are devoted to thin films at interfaces in general and in particular versatile films, able to adhere on all kinds of materials. Those films are based on oxidation products of dopamine, polyphenols and biowaste compounds. Those films can be produced not only by solution based deposition but also through electrochemical methods. They find some applications not only as biomaterial coatings but also for energy conversion and water purification. The mechanical properties of those thin films are also investigated. I am teaching Physical Chemistry and Materials science to students from the Medical and Dental school at the Université de Strasbourg.
- Email:vball@unistra.fr
Lydie PLOUX
Directrice de recherche
Dr Lydie Ploux is a “Research Director” at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS). She holds a PhD degree in Biomedical engineering in 1997 from University of Technology of Compiègne (UTC, France). She conducted her research at the Institut de Physique Nucléaire d’Orsay (IPN, Orsay, France), Forschungszentrum of Jülich (FZ Jülich, Germany), the Laboratoire de Neurotransmission In Vivo (URA CNRS/CEA) – Service Hospitalier Frédéric Joliot (SHFJ, Orsay, France) and Institut de Science des Matériaux de Mulhouse (IS2M, France) before joining the INSERM Biomaterials and Bioengineering laboratory in 2018. She studied physics, biomedical engineering and physiotherapy. Her research focuses on the development of new strategies for antimicrobial surfaces and on bacterium-material or biofilm-material biointerfaces (role of the material and microbiological mechanisms). She has published 50 scientific articles, has supervised more than 10 PhD and 10 Post-doctoral researchers or engineers. She is or was the main coordinator or scientific coordinator for 8 projects (ANR, FUI14, Région Alsace, MICA Carnot Institute, CNRS) and is or was involved in 9 others (ANR, MICA Carnot Institute). She is member of the Executive Committee of Biomaterials and Bioengineering laboratory and is member of the Executive and Scientific Committees of two “Groupement de Recherche” (GDR) of the CNRS (GDR3751 “Bioenginering of Interfaces” and GDR2088 “Biomimetism and Bioinspiration”).
- Email:ploux@unistra.fr
Youri ARNTZ
MCU
Dr Youri Arntz holds a PhD degree In Biophysics and Biomedical in 2000 In IPB (Institut de Physique Biologique) at University of Strasbourg. After he joined IBM Ruschlikon (Switzerland) as a R&D researcher for Biosensor development and took part of NCCR Nanotechnology of Switzerland. From 2002 to 2007 he joined the Biomaterial laboratory INSERM 595 as associated lecturer. In 2007 he got a Lecturer position at University of Strasbourg until 2018 at Pharmatical Faculty and since 2019 at Dentistry Faculty where he joined INSERM Lab 1121 Biomaterials and Bioengineering. He is PI for Biofabrication and 3D bioprinting Axis. His domains of expertise are in nanotechnologies sciences, biosensors, biofabrication and 3D bioprinting. He published 68 articles in peer reviewed international journal. His research focus now on tissue engineering for regenerative medicine and development of innovative 3D cellular models for personalized diagnosis both produced by 3D bioprinting.
- Email:youri.arntz@unistra.fr
Syvie FOURNEL
PU
Sylvie Fournel is Professor of Immunology at the Faculty of Life Sciences at the University of Strasbourg. She obtained her PhD at the University of Lyon in 1996. After a post-doctoral position in Toulouse, she joined the University of Strasbourg as an assistant professor in 1999 and became a full professor in 2006. She has always worked on immunomodulation (how to modulate immune responses), first in the context of autoimmune diseases and more recently in the context of cancer and biomaterial implantation.
Her research interests are the development of innovative vaccination strategies or innovative therapies against cancer and inflammatory diseases, as well as innovative strategies to increase the immunobiocompatibility of biomaterials.
- Email:s.fournel@unistra.fr
PU / PH / MCU
ITA
Karim Benmlih
AI
Eric Mathieu
AI
Cendrine Seguin
IE
Dominique Vautier
IR