Student Projects
If you are interest in a project in the laboratory, feel free to contact any member even if no project is posted in SiROP
Photoresponsive slide-ring hydrogels for on-demand modulation of mechanical properties
Hydrogel materials are crosslinked polymer networks with reversible swelling, tunable porosity, elasticity, toughness, and flexibility. Conventional hydrogels often suffer from weak mechanical properties and display brittle and unstable behaviour limiting their scope for load-bearing applications. Such networks consist of side-chain functionalized polymers, whose covalent crosslinks occur at fixed positions on the polymer backbone (Figure 1A). Upon deformation, tensile stress is concentrated on the closest neighboring crosslinks, eventually leading to their rupture and material failure. Hence, the molecular design of high-performance hydrogels with toughness and elasticity similar to rubber is an emerging area of research in the engineering of polymeric materials with applications towards robust medical materials or soft robotics.
Keywords
Slide-Ring Gels, Supramolecular Chemistry, High-Performance Hydrogels
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-06-06 , Earliest start: 2024-07-18
Organization Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory
Hosts Mommer Stefan
Topics Engineering and Technology , Chemistry
Ultra-High Molecular Weight Hydrogels With Extreme Mechanical Properties
Hydrogels composed of ultra-high molecular weight polymers exhibit remarkable mechanical properties, including exceptional stretchability exceeding 2000%. This performance stems from the extensive polymer entanglements inherent to their high molecular weight. These entanglements create a dense, interconnected network that distributes stress efficiently, enabling the hydrogel to withstand significant deformation without breaking. The resulting materials combine the advantageous properties of hydrogels, such as high water content and biocompatibility, with superior mechanical robustness, making them ideal for applications in flexible electronics, soft robotics, and biomedical devices. Their ability to endure extreme stretching and recover their original shape highlights their potential in innovative, high-performance material design.
Keywords
Ultra-High Molecular Weight Hydrogels, Highly Entangled Hydrogels
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Semester Project , Course Project , Internship , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-06-06 , Earliest start: 2024-07-01
Organization Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory
Hosts Mommer Stefan
Topics Engineering and Technology , Chemistry
Extracellular matrix remodeling: influence of cellular scaffolds on proteases activity
You will measure the concentration and activity of matrix metallo-proteases in various samples mimicking human dermal tissue.
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Semester Project , Internship , Bachelor Thesis
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Published since: 2025-06-02 , Earliest start: 2025-08-04 , Latest end: 2025-12-19
Organization Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory
Hosts Pietrantuono Nepomuceno Jaime
Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Engineering and Technology , Biology
Injectable polyrotaxane-based hydrogels for controlled drug delivery
Hydrogels are widely investigated materials for versatile biomedical applications. In particular, hydrogels are a good drug delivery system for controlled drug release. In this project, polyrotaxane-based hydrogels are developed and tested for their ability to deliver model compounds in a controlled way. The main goal of the project is to design and fabricate polyrotaxane-based hydrogels, characterize their mechanical properties (rheology) and perform release studies with model compounds. Suitable for master thesis, bachelor thesis and semester project.
Keywords
Injectable hydrogels, drug delivery, supramolecular interactions
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Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-05-30 , Earliest start: 2025-06-01 , Latest end: 2026-04-30
Organization Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory
Hosts Petelinsek Nika
Topics Engineering and Technology
Life cycle analysis on living materials for CO2 sequestration
Hey there! Do you know that bacteria can be powerful fighters for CO2 capture? (Not kidding, they are really useful). Recently, engineered living materials embedded with photosynthetic cyanobacteria has been designed to permanently store atmospheric CO2 in the form of stable minerals such as calcium carbonate [1]. While it is a promising alternative to industrial carbon capture and storage methods, the production of such living materials still incurs process-related CO2 emission. To better understand the bottleneck and the most emission-heavy part of the living materials, we plan to conduct life-cycle analysis (LCA) on the living materials. [1] Dranseike, D., Cui, Y., Ling, A. S., Donat, F., Bernhard, S., Bernero, M., ... & Tibbitt, M. W. (2025). Dual carbon sequestration with photosynthetic living materials. Nature Communications, 16(1), 3832.
Keywords
life cycle analysis, living materials, carbon sequestration
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Semester Project , Internship , Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-05-29 , Earliest start: 2025-05-30 , Latest end: 2026-06-30
Organization Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory
Hosts Cui Yifan
Topics Engineering and Technology
Resin with a Twist: Photoreversible Material for Digitally Printed Films
Create a next-gen resin that switches from solid to liquid using light! Dive into synthesizing, testing, and refining this unique material with exciting potential in the watch industry and beyond. Ideal for a chemistry or engineering student ready to explore the full journey—from lab synthesis to real-world application. Join us to make light a game-changer in material science!
Keywords
photoreversible, resin, light-activated, digital printing, smart materials, synthesis, rheology, polymers, formulations, prototyping, engineering, chemistry, innovation, dynamic materials, industry, material, characterization, application, light, photosensitive, photocleavable
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Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-05-23 , Earliest start: 2025-06-22 , Latest end: 2026-01-23
Organization Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory
Hosts Wolf Morris
Topics Engineering and Technology , Chemistry
Long-term ex situ liver perfusion for tissue repair
Liver transplantation is the only treatment for patients with end-stage liver disease. Unfortunately, there are not sufficiently many transplantable liver grafts available to meet the patient demand. Therefore, many patiens remain on waiting lists and eventually die when they do not get a transplant in time. While a lot of people donate organs after their death, many organs are not used because the organ is injured or diseased and thus cannot be transplanted. We aim at increasing utilization of available liver grafts by preserving livers outside of the body on so-called perfusion machines, where they can be preserved for multiple days. Perfusion devices pump a perfusate, similar to blood, through the vessels and provide the organ with nutrients, oxygen and a series of stimuli that mimick in vivo conditions. The perfusion time window gives the opportunity for treatment allowing for reconditioning and repair of the allografts.
Keywords
tissue engineering, ex situ perfusion, liver transplant, hepatology, bioengineering, medical engineering, surgery
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Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-05-15 , Earliest start: 2025-06-02 , Latest end: 2026-04-30
Organization Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory
Hosts Huwyler Florian , Cunningham Leslie
Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Engineering and Technology
Data-driven/Machine Learning polymer formulation for drug development
This project aims to leverage machine learning to accelerate the design of polymer-based drug delivery systems with tailored release kinetics. Using a curated dataset of polymer formulations and their drug release profiles, predictive models will be developed, validated, and applied to optimize future formulations. By combining computational tools with explainable AI techniques, the project seeks to uncover key design principles and reduce experimental workloads. The outcome will enable smarter, data-driven reformulation processes, advancing personalized medicine and next-generation drug delivery technologies.
Keywords
Data-driven, machine learning, polymer formulation, drug
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Semester Project , Internship
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Published since: 2025-04-04 , Earliest start: 2025-04-07 , Latest end: 2025-11-30
Organization Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory
Hosts Guzzi Elia
Topics Medical and Health Sciences , Engineering and Technology , Chemistry
How Mechanical Forces Shape Cell Fate – and the Future of Regenerative Medicine
Project Summary We’re developing a powerful new in vitro model to untangle the complex mechanical cues—osmotic pressure and substrate stiffness—that skin cells experience every day. These signals are deeply intertwined in the body, but we’re building a system to decouple and precisely control them, for the first time. Why? Because understanding how cells respond to these forces is crucial for engineering functional tissues, guiding organ regeneration, and tackling mechanobiology-driven diseases like fibrosis.
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Key words: mechanical stresses, cell behavior, fibroblasts, immunostaining.
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-03-26 , Earliest start: 2025-06-01 , Latest end: 2026-01-31
Organization Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory
Hosts Cuni Filippo
Topics Engineering and Technology , Biology
PDMS-Based Bioreactor Investigating Cell Behavior in Response to Hydrostatic Pressure and Substrate Stiffness
Introduction and Background Skin cells dynamically respond to mechanical and biochemical stimuli, which influence critical processes such as proliferation, differentiation, and migration. By understanding this interplay, mechanical and biochemical stimuli may be used in the future to facilitate the growth of skin patches, tissue formation, and organ regeneration, enabling new therapies and benefiting patients. The study of these responses, mechanobiology, requires advanced in-vitro systems to emulate physiological conditions. This project utilizes a device designed for controlled manipulation of hydrostatic pressure (0.1–1.5 kPa) and substrate stiffness (0.1–100 kPa). The system facilitates isolated and scalable experiments to analyze how the interplay of these mechanical parameters affects cell behavior. In this thesis, the student will use this system to investigate how different stimuli affect cell behavior.
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Bioreactor, tissue engineering, organ regeneration
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2025-03-26 , Earliest start: 2025-05-01 , Latest end: 2025-11-30
Organization Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory
Hosts Binz Jonas
Topics Engineering and Technology , Biology
Designing photosynthetic living materials with synthetic biology
Living materials, as an emerging field that combines biology and material science, are materials composed of immobilized living organisms and a carrier matrix providing pre-determined bio-functionality. [1,2] Living materials bring about new properties that are not easily realised by conventional materials. Here, we aim to design a new type of living materials that can sequester and store atmospheric CO2 irreversibly in the form of calcium carbonate minerals.
Keywords
living materials, synthetic biology, microorganisms
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Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
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Published since: 2025-01-27 , Earliest start: 2025-02-05 , Latest end: 2025-10-31
Organization Macromolecular Engineering Laboratory
Hosts Cui Yifan
Topics Engineering and Technology