Aguilar Laboratory

Our research

Interdisciplinary science – the future of innovation

Are you interested in being part of exciting new developments in biotechnology that crosses all scientific boundaries? Our group has a strong chemical and biochemical background which places us in a unique position to collaborate with biologists, chemists, engineers and clinicians.

Interdisciplinarity is everywhere. From research funders to journal editors, policymakers to think tanks – all seem to agree that the future of research lies outside firm disciplinary boundaries. Our projects will allow you to experience life across different disciplines and will provide you with invaluable experience for years to come.

We are developing novel compounds that allow us to exploit the potential of peptides as drugs for treatment of cardiovascular disease and new biomaterials for regenerative medicine. Our membrane nanotechnology projects probe the role of membranes in the mechanism of antimicrobial peptide function, apoptosis and G protein-coupled receptor function.

The long-term aim of these studies is to increase our understanding of the molecular basis of peptide and protein function, the creation of novel materials and the design and synthesis of peptide and small molecule therapeutics.

- Peptide-based drug design
- Design of novel antifibrotics
- Self-assembled peptide-based materials
- Biomembrane biophysics
- Biomaterials and nanomaterials
- Synthetic chemistry of drugs and materials

^{Design templates used in our bioactive peptide projects.}