The University of Lodz (LU) is one of the strongest scientific and research centres in the country. The University is repeatedly ranked among the top higher education institutions in Poland, and it especially excels in such fields of study as management, biology, law and economics . The 12 faculties of the University provide programs in 40 fields of study and 170 specializations for more than 40,000 students. LU has gained experience and reputation as a reliable project coordinator and project partner, as well as a strong international science and research centre.

The Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection is one of the strongest faculties of LU. Research carried on at the faculty is of pure, applied and methodological character. The scientific problems studied by the research staff focus on three main themes: biological environment, structure and functions of plant, animal and microorganism cells, and biomedical and biotechnological topics. Scientific schools created by faculzty professors include among others: biochemical, biophysical, zoological, ecological, anthropological, neurophysiological, microbiological and immunological.

The Department of General Biophysics has been studying a novel group of polymers called dendrimers for over 15 years, being actively present in this field from the very beginning. The main areas of interest are: (i) application of dendrimers in medicine, especially as carriers of anticancer drugs and antiamyloid agents; (ii) interaction of dendrimers with various molecules like proteins, nucleic acids, membranes; (iii) biophysical characterization of complexes of dendrimers with biomolecules (dendriplexes); (iv) in vitro toxicity studies of dendrimers and dendriplexes. Members of the Department are authors of over 260 scientific papers published in peer reviewed journals.

Main research topics of the Department

1. Interactions of various dendrimers (PAMAM, PPI, PPI modified with sugar residues, viologen-phosphorus, phosphorus, carbosilane) with biomolecules: nucleic acids, proteins, model and biological membranes.
2. Characterization of formed dendriplexes, their physico-chemical properties, morphology, size, zeta potential and stability in time, temperature, pH.
3. Toxicity of dendrimers and dendriplexes against various cell lines and blood cells. Applications of dendrimers in medicine, especially as: carriers of anticancer drugs, factors influencing the process of fibril formation in neurodegenerative diseases and carriers of antisense oligonucleotides and siRNAs (HIV infection, cancer)