Daniel Aili

Professor, Head of Unit

My research focuses on engineering adaptive biomaterials and molecular technologies that dynamically interact with biological systems for applications in diagnostics, drug delivery, advanced in vitro models and regenerative medicine

Presentation

My research aims to understand and engineer interactions between molecules, materials, and living systems. By combining molecular engineering, biomaterials science, and life sciences, we develop adaptive biomaterials and molecular technologies that sense, respond to, and interact with biological environments.

The research spans multiple length scales, from the molecular design of peptides, polymers, and nanoscale assemblies to advanced biomaterials, biosensors, and biofabricated tissues. A common theme is the development of bioresponsive systems that dynamically adapt their structure and function in response to biological signals. These principles are applied to create innovative technologies for diagnostics, drug delivery, regenerative medicine, and advanced in vitro models for studying health and disease. Our work combines fundamental studies of molecular interactions and self-assembly with the development of translational technologies in close collaboration with clinicians, industry, and international research partners.

A long-term vision is to engineer adaptive materials that dynamically interact with biological systems by sensing, interpreting, and modulating biological processes, ultimately enabling functional molecular communication between synthetic materials and living tissues.

You can find my work at听听补苍诲听补苍诲 below.

More about my research

Laboratory of Molecular Materials

The Laboratory of Molecular Materials (m2Lab) develops adaptive biomaterials, molecular technologies, and bioengineered platforms that dynamically interact with biological systems to advance healthcare, biotechnology, and life science research.

Person in protective gear working with microscope.

Profile area - Life Science Technologies, LSX

The Life Science Technologies proposal includes interdisciplinary research in medicine, natural and engineering sciences, an area where basic research can be developed and contribute to new and important clinical applications.

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Advanced Functional Materials - AFM

Advanced Functional Materials, AFM, is an interdisciplinary research environment conducting studies in advanced functional materials. The initiative is based on a government investment with strategic research areas as its foundation.

Coworkers

Navneet Chaudhary

Postdoc

Michael Delahaye

Adjunct Associate Professor

Karin Enander

Associate Professor, Docent

Principal Research Engineer

Sneha Kollenchery Ramanathan

Postdoc

Philip Lifwergren

PhD student

Carl-Fredrik Mandenius

Pierfrancesco Pagella

Associate Professor, Docent

Vijay Kumar Pal

Alessia Maria Pignataro

Cornelia Christina Schwarz

News

18 June 2026

Grant to building a brain replica

The CNSx3 center has received a large grant to create 3D models of human organs. LiU-professor Daniel Aili is part of the project.

12 August 2025

鈥淪kin in a syringe鈥� a step towards a new way to heal burns

Researchers have created what could be called 鈥渟kin in a syringe鈥�. The gel containing live cells can be 3D printed into a skin transplant, as shown in a study conducted on mice. This technology may lead to new ways to treat burns and severe wounds.

Tw researchers in an lab sitting at a table.

19 April 2023

The wound dressing that can reveal infection

A nanocellulose wound dressing that can reveal early signs of infection without interfering with the healing process has been developed by researchers at 一本道 University. Their study is one further step on the road to a new type of wound care.

CV in short

Employment

2020- to present Professor, Link枚ping University, Sweden
2015-2020 Associate Professor, Link枚ping University, Sweden
2011-2015 Assistant Professor, Link枚ping University, Sweden
2010-2011 Postdoc, School of Materials Science, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
2009-2010 Postdoc, Prof. Molly Stevens' lab, Imperial College London, UK

一本道

2008 PhD in Molecular Physics, Link枚ping University, Sweden
2003 MSc in Engineering Biology, Link枚ping University, Sweden

Achievements

ERC Consolidator Grant holder
Coordinator of SSF MED-X project HEALiX
Wallenberg Academy Fellow (+ prolongation grant)
Enrolled in the Future Research Leader program by the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research
Received the AkzoNobel Nordic Prize for Surface and Colloid Chemystry (2012)
Received the Ingvar Carlsson Award (2012)
Received the Arnbergska Prize from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (2013)

Expertise

Soft biomaterials
Molecular self-assembly
Surface and colloid chemistry
Biosensors

Teaching

Video

Hydrogels can provide better cell therapy treatment

This video, made by Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research in their series about future research leaders, tells the story about Daniel Aili and his research group that, among others, create hydrogels.

Publications

2026

Johanna Hultman, Vivian Morad, Eliane Tanner, Tristan M. G. Kenney, Zuzanna Pietras, Lalit Pramod Khare, Dean Derbyshire, Diana Resetca, Cheryl H. Arrowsmith, Daniel Aili, Simon Ekstrom, Linda Z. Penn, Bj枚rn Wallner, Alexandra Ahlner, Maria Sunnerhagen (2026) Nature Communications, Vol. 17, Article 2016 (Article in journal)

Elisa Zattarin, Wasihun Bekele Kebede, Zeljana Sotra, Rozalin Shamasha, Annika Starkenberg, Valentina Guerrero Florez, Lalit Pramod Khare, Torbjorn Bengtsson, Hazem Khalaf, Emma Bj枚rk, Jonathan Rakar, Johan Junker, Daniel Aili (2026) Bioactive Materials, Vol. 61, p. 150-171 (Article in journal)

Wasihun Bekele Kebede, Elisa Zattarin, Zeljana Sotra, Emanuel Wiman, Annika Starkenberg, Sneha Kollenchery Ramanathan, Jonathan Rakar, Tsige Gebre-Mariam, Tesfaye Sisay Tessema, Marten Skog, Petter Sivler, Torbjorn Bengtsson, Hazem Khalaf, Johan Junker, Daniel Aili (2026) ACS Applied Nano Materials, Vol. 9, p. 1571-1583 (Article in journal)

Valentina Guerrero Florez, Elisa Zattarin, Lalit Pramod Khare, Emanuel Wiman, Torbjorn Bengtsson, Hazem Khalaf, Johan Junker, Lars Ojam盲e, Magnus Od茅n, Daniel Aili, Emma Bj枚rk (2026) Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Vol. 703, Article 139151 (Article in journal)

2025

Daniel Aili, A. Herland (2025) Methods in Molecular Biology, p. 223-233 (Chapter in book)

Philip Lifwergren, Viktoria Schoen, Sajjad Naeimipour, Lalit Pramod Khare, Anna Wunder, Hanna Blom, Jose Gabriel Martinez Gil, Pierfrancesco Pagella, Anders Fridberger, Johan Junker, Daniel Aili (2025) Advanced Healthcare Materials, Vol. 14, Article 2502262 (Article in journal)

Alexandra Iversen, Johanna Utterstr枚m, Basab Kanti Das, Robert Seleg氓rd, Lalit Pramod Khare, Daniel Aili (2025) Journal of materials chemistry. B, Vol. 13, p. 10267-10277 (Article in journal)

Rozalin Shamasha, Sneha Kollenchery Ramanathan, Kristin Oskarsdotter, Fatemeh Rasti Boroojeni, Aleksandra Zielinska, Sajjad Naeimipour, Philip Lifwergren, Nina Reustle, Lauren Roberts, Annika Starkenberg, Gunnar Kratz, Peter Apelgren, Karin Saljo, Jonathan Rakar, Lars Kolby, Daniel Aili, Johan Junker (2025) Advanced Healthcare Materials, Vol. 14, Article 2501430 (Article in journal)

Olof Eskilsson, Emanuel Wiman, Nina Reustle, Jakob Langwagen, Zeljana Sotra, Anna Svard, Robert Seleg氓rd, Yagmur Bas, Linn Berglund, Kristiina Oksman, Torbjorn Bengtsson, Johan Junker, Hazem Khalaf, Daniel Aili (2025) ACS Sensors, Vol. 10, p. 3953-3963 (Article in journal)

Elisa Zattarin, Zeljana Sotra, Emanuel Wiman, Yagmur Ba艧, Jonathan Rakar, Linn Berglund, Annika Starkenberg, Emma Bj枚rk, Hazem Khalaf, Kristiina Oksman, Torbjorn Bengtsson, Johan Junker, Daniel Aili (2025) Materials Today Bio, Vol. 32, Article 101756 (Article in journal)

Oleg Dimitriev, Huotian Zhang, Anna D谩vid, Olof Eskilson, Daniel Aili, Lukas Marcos Celada, Peter Olsen, Feng Gao, Mats Fahlman (2025) Cellulose, Vol. 32, p. 3651-3666 (Article in journal)

2024

Changbai Li, Sajjad Naeimipour, Fatemeh Rasti Boroojeni, Tobias Abrahamsson, Xenofon Strakosas, Yangpeiqi Yi, Rebecka Rilemark, Caroline Lindholm, Venkata Perla, Chiara Musumeci, Yuyang Li, Hanne Biesmans, Marios Savvakis, Eva Olsson, Klas Tybrandt, Mary Donahue, Jennifer Gerasimov, Robert Seleg氓rd, Magnus Berggren, Daniel Aili, Daniel Simon (2024) Small Science, Vol. 4, Article 2400290 (Article in journal)

Olof Eskilsson, Elisa Zattarin, Jennifer Silander, Tomas Hallberg, Christina Akerlind, Robert Seleg氓rd, Kenneth J盲rrendahl, Daniel Aili (2024) ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, Vol. 16, p. 52894-52901 (Article in journal)

Alexandra Iversen, Johanna Utterstr枚m, Lalit Pramod Khare, Daniel Aili (2024) Journal of materials chemistry. B, Vol. 12, p. 10320-10331 (Article in journal)

Thuy Tran, Robert Gustavsson Lindberg, Erik Martinsson, Filip Bergqvist, Andreas Axen, Ingemar Lundstr枚m, Carl-Fredrik Mandenius, Daniel Aili (2024) Journal of Chromatography A, Vol. 1730, Article 465129 (Article in journal)

Annelie Abrahamsson, Fatemeh Rasti Boroojeni, Sajjad Naeimipour, Nina Reustle, Robert Seleg氓rd, Daniel Aili, Charlotta Dabrosin (2024) Acta Biomaterialia, Vol. 178, p. 160-169 (Article in journal)

Alexandra Iversen, Johanna Utterstr枚m, Robert Seleg氓rd, Daniel Aili (2024) ACS Omega, Vol. 9, p. 19613-19619 (Article in journal)

Olof Eskilson, Sneha Kollenchery Ramanathan, Anna du Rietz, Valentina Guerrero Florez, Robert Seleg氓rd, Kajsa Uvdal, Emma Bj枚rk, Daniel Aili (2024) ACS Applied Nano Materials, Vol. 7, p. 6068-6078 (Article in journal)

Fatemeh Rasti Boroojeni, Sajjad Naeimipour, Philip Lifwergren, Annelie Abrahamsson, Charlotta Dabrosin, Robert Seleg氓rd, Daniel Aili (2024) Biofabrication, Vol. 16, Article 025002 (Article in journal)

2023

Sajjad Naeimipour, Fatemeh Rasti Boroojeni, Philip Lifwergren, Robert Seleg氓rd, Daniel Aili (2023) Materials Today Advances, Vol. 19, Article 100415 (Article in journal)

Organisation

Person with transmission electron microscope.

Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM)

Excellent undergraduate teaching and research in the areas of biology, chemistry, materials and applied physics and theory and modelling are conducted at this department.

一本道

Daniel Aili

Presentation

Support medical treatment with materials that mimic nature