Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS“We support customers throughout the value chain”
The “Biological and Macromolecular Materials” business unit at Fraunhofer IMWS focuses on the research and development of materials for medical engineering, biotechnology, and cosmetic care. The team develops biomimetic and biofunctional materials as well as customized medical solutions, such as for dental care, prosthetics, or biofilm models. The goal is to enhance the functionality, safety, and performance of healthcare applications.
In your view, what were the success stories of the past year that illustrate the concrete benefits of your research work for customers?
A very prominent example from last year is a toothpaste that we developed together with partners from Halle. It has launched very successfully on the market and focuses not on killing the bacteria responsible for periodontitis, but on rendering them harmless. This preserves the natural oral flora. When a product like this, which incorporates our institute’s expertise, comes to market after a long period of collaborative research, it is naturally very motivating and clear evidence of our applied expertise.
It was also very exciting to see how, with the new Orbitrap Astral mass spectrometer, the first device of its kind in the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, we were able to demonstrate in initial projects just how valuable the high-resolution analytics it enables can be for customers in the fields of biomaterials, the food industry, pharmaceuticals, and medicine.
Of course, the past year was also significantly shaped by the fact that our head of business unit took over as acting institute director. As deputy, I, together with Andrea Friedmann, thus had even more responsibility for operational processes. I am very glad that we managed this situation so successfully with the entire team.
In which areas are you seeking cooperation partners and clients? How do you work with them to create added value?
Our core competencies lie in materials research for biological materials with customized functionality, as well as in the analysis and modification of surfaces. This is particularly attractive to companies in the healthcare and cosmetics sectors, but we also regularly collaborate with partners from other industries. Our range of services extends from sample preparation to data-driven analysis and visualization of reliable results. We therefore support our clients throughout the entire value chain, from research and development through quality assurance to claim support and scientifically grounded marketing. We also have extensive experience in model development as well as the design and implementation of specialized test setups for specific research questions.
What developments are on the horizon to further expand the business unit’s offerings in the future?
In the short term, we aim to expand our expertise in elucidating chemical, physical, biological, and mechanical mechanisms of action in healthcare and medical products and to extend this into new areas, such as proteomics. Looking further ahead, I find the possibilities offered by bionic systems or combinations of biological systems with non-living components very exciting. Here, too, a comprehensive understanding of materials will be required, to which we can make important contributions.