Artificial Biomaterials
Welcome to the Spinck Lab. We aim to genetically reprogram bacteria to synthesise artificial biomaterials, generating novel self-assembling and evolvable systems with diverse non-natural properties.
We are building a strong interdisciplinary team combining synthetic biology, chemistry, and materials science to explore new forms of programmable matter.
Join us the Generative Biology Institute, EIT, Oxford, UK
Research Vision
Self-assembling peptide materials offer an exciting way to design new biomaterials that can grow, organise, and adapt at the molecular level. By expanding the genetic code, we can introduce new building blocks into biology, allowing cells to produce materials with properties not found in nature. Using directed evolution, we can challenge cells in an artificial environment to generate new materials or fine-tune their properties.
Our vision is to create designed, self-assembling biomaterials that are accessible and adaptable for real-world applications, ranging from sustainable biocatalysts to advanced functional materials..
Selected publications:
Spinck, M., Piedrafita, C., Robertson, W.E. et al. Genetically programmed cell-based synthesis of non-natural peptide and depsipeptide macrocycles. Nat. Chem. 15, 61–69 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-022-01082-0
Spinck, M., Guppy, A. & Chin, J.W. Automated orthogonal tRNA generation. Nat Chem Biol 21, 657–667 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-024-01782-3
Robertson, W. E., Rehm, F., Spinck, M., Schumann, R. L, Tian, R., et al., Escherichia coli with a 57-codon genetic code. Science 390, eady 4368 (2025).