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Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology

Research

Enzyme-inspried cataysis, drug nanocarriers  for pancreatic cancer, theanostic probes for senescent cells, biopolymer nanocomposites, multifunctional linker sytems for nanomaterial (bio)functionalisation. 

Nanomaterials: biopolymers and DNA, noble metal, metal oxide and carbon nanodiamonds.

Chemistry: photo triggered chemistry, green catalysis, enationseletive synthesis

Medicine: pancreatic and lung cancer, senescent cells

Physics/Engineering/Devices: Optoelectonic enzyme-inspired devices, biosensors

Environment: water purifcation membranes, green catalysis, alternatives to plastics, nanotoxicology

More information on our group website

Biography

Reader in BioNano Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Universtiy of Cambridge, UK (since 2019)

Lecturer, Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, UK (2015-2019)

Group Leader "Photoactivable Nanodevices", DFG-Centre for Functional Nanostructures, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany (2008 - 2014)

Habilitation in Organic Chemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany (2014)

Postdoctoral Researcher, Chemical Biology and Nanotechnology (Christof Niemeyer Group), University of Dortmund, Germany (2004 - 2008)

PhD in Biospectroscopy, University of Strathclyde (Duncan Graham, Ewen W. Smith), Glasgow, UK (2000 - 2004)

Diploma in Chemistry, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Science ( 1995 - 1999)

International Baccalaureate Bilingual Diploma, United World College of the Adriatic, Duino, Italy (1993 -1995)

Awards/Fellowships

Marie Curie Incoming International Fellowship

Humboldt Fellowship

Overseas Research Award

University of Zagreb Rector's Award

Publications

Key publications: 

1. L. Crocker, P. Koehler, P. Bernhard, A. Kerbs, T. Euser and Lj. Fruk, Enzyme-inspired Flavin Pollydopamine as a Biocompatible Nanoparticle Photocatalysts, Nanoscale Horiz. 2019, 4, 1318.

2. L. Crocker, L. Fruk, Flavin Conjugated Polydopamine Nanoparticles Displaying Light-driven Monooxygenase Activity, Frontiers Chem 2019, 7, article 278.

3. L. Stolzer, A. Vigovskaya, C. Barner-Kowollik, Lj. Fruk, A Self Reporting Tetrazole Based Linker for the Biofunctionalization of Gold Nanorods, Chemistry-A Eur. J. 2015, 21, 14309

4. C. Garcia-Astrain, C. Chen, M. Buron, T. Palomares, A. Eceiza, Lj. Fruk, M. Angeles Corcuera, N. Gabilondo, Biocompatible Hydrogel Nanocomposite with Covalently Embedded Silver Nanoparticles, Biomacromolecules 2015, 16(4), 1301  

5. M. Miljevic, B. Geiseler, T. Bergfeldt, P. Brockstaller, Lj. Fruk, Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity of Au/TiO2 Nanocomposite Prepared Using Bifunctional Bridging Linker, Adv. Funct. Mater 2014, 24(7), 1028

6. D. M. Bauer, I. Ahmed, A. Vigovskaya, Lj. Fruk, Clickable Tyrosine Binding Bifuctional Linkers for Preparation of DNA-Protein Conjugates, Bioconj. Chem. 2013, 24, 6, 1094.

7. G. Shtenberg, N. Massad-Ivanir, O. Moscowitz, S. Engin, M. Sharon, Lj. Fruk, E. Segal, Picking up the Pieces, A Generic Porous Si Biosensor for Probing the Proteolytic Products of Enzymes, Anal. Chem. 2013, 85(3), 1951

8. Yu-Chueh Hung, Wei-Ting Hsu, Ting-Yu Lin, Lj. Fruk, Photoinduced write- once read-many-times memory device based on DNA biopolymer composite, Appl. Phys. Lett. 2011, 253301

9. F. Bano, Lj. Fruk, B. Sanavio, M. Glettenberg, L. Casalis, C. M. Niemeyer, G. Scoles,  Towards Multiprotein Nanochips Using Nanografting and DNA Directed Immobilization of Proteins, Nano Lett. 2009, 9(7), 2614

10. Lj. Fruk, C. M.Niemeyer, Covalent Hemin-DNA Adducts for Generating a Novel Class of Artifical Heme Enzymes. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2005, 44, 2603.

   

Teaching and Supervisions

Teaching: 

Ethics in Engineering and Science, Bionanotechnology, Chemical Product Design,

Reader in BioNano Engineering
Dr. Ljiljana  Fruk

Contact Details

01223 (3)34778
Email address: 

Affiliations

Person keywords: 
enzyme-inspired catalysts
drug nanocarriers
biopolymer nano composites
nanomaterial (bio)functionalisation
biosensors
green chemistry
senescent cell theranostics