Center for NanoScience at the Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Germany

The Center for NanoScience (CeNS) aims to stimulate and support interdisciplinary research in all areas of nanoscience, combining physics, chemistry, biochemistry and life sciences. CeNS combines the activities of more than 100 highly motivated researchers and shares access to a manifold of scientific expertise and facilities.

Joachim Rädler is Professor for experimental physics at LMU since 2001. His current research focuses on the investigation of soft biological matter, in particular composite phases of DNA, proteins, polypeptides, polysaccharides and lipid membranes.  The general goal is to understand molecular interactions in order to build functional, multi- component nanosystems. Key principles are self-organisation, phase-transitions, and transport phenomena.

Wolfgang Parak is Assistant Professor at LMU since 2003 and will be Professor for experimental physics at the University of Leipzig from 2006 onwards. His research comprises the synthesis of functional inorganic nanoparticles in organic solution, the transfer of these nanoparticles to aqueous solution, their conjugation with biological molecules, and use in cellular labelling and drug delivery applications.