COLLAGEN
MECHANOCHEMISTRY

Welcome

COLMEC (Establishing design rules for creating collagen-like materials with specific mechanical stability and response) is an interdisciplinary initiative that uses collagen as a model to understand protein mechanochemistry. This project is funded by the European Union through a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) postdoctoral fellowship.

Our research focuses on three core objectives:

1. Identifying coevolved residue pairs associated with collagen's mechanochemical function: We're examining how collagen's amino acid sequence has evolved to optimize force distribution and mechanochemical coupling.
2. Revealing the role of metal ions in collagen crosslinking with DOPA residues: We're investigating how metal-coordinated bonds, especially those involving iron, might enhance both stiffness and extensibility in collagen.
3. Molecular mapping of force propagation in collagen: We're studying how collagen's sacrificial bonds and other intermolecular interactions define its unique mechanical behaviour.

By integrating bioinformatics, computational biophysics, and materials science, COLMEC aims to advance our understanding of protein mechanochemistry. Our ultimate goal is to create a framework for designing synthetic, biocompatible collagen-like materials with specific mechanical and chemical functions.

This website serves as a platform to share our research progress, findings, and resources related to the COLMEC project. Whether you're a researcher in the field, a student interested in biomaterials, or simply curious about the molecular basis of tissue mechanics, we invite you to explore our work and follow our progress.