Francisco M. Fernandes is a Full Professor at Sorbonne Université, where he leads the Materials & Biology team at the Condensed Matter Chemistry Laboratory of Paris (LCMCP). He holds a degree in Chemistry and an MSc in Environmental Sciences from the University of Minho (Braga, Portugal). He completed his PhD under the supervision of Prof. Ruiz-Hitzky at the Materials Science Institute of Madrid, Spain, where he investigated bionanocomposite materials.
In 2011, he joined the LCMCP in Paris as a postdoctoral fellow, working on collagen-based materials for biomedical applications. Following his appointment as assistant professor in 2013, he has developed an original research line based on controlled ice growth as a tool to shape and to preserve biological entities. His work adapts classical materials science processing techniques to the constraints of living matter.
His current research interests revolve around mimicking the Extracellular Matrix of native tissues and rethinking the cryopreservation of cell and tissues.
Research Positions
Since 2026
Full Professor – Sorbonne Université, Laboratoire de Chimie de la Matière Condensée de Paris, UMR7574, France
Since 2024
Head of the Materials & Biology team – Sorbonne Université, Laboratoire de Chimie de la Matière Condensée de Paris, UMR7574, France
2021 – 2026
Associate Professor (Maître de Conférences HDR) – Sorbonne Université, Laboratoire de Chimie de la Matière Condensée de Paris, UMR7574, France
2016
Invited Lecturer – King’s College London, Department of Physics, Sapienza Lab, London, United Kingdom
2013 – 2021
Assistant Professor (Maître de Conférences) – Sorbonne Université, Laboratoire de Chimie de la Matière Condensée de Paris, UMR7574, France
2011 – 2013
Post-doctoral fellow – Sorbonne Université, Laboratoire de Chimie de la Matière Condensée de Paris, UMR7574, France
Academic titles
2021
« Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches » – Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
2011
PhD in Applied Physical Chemistry – Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Materials Science Insitute of Madrid, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
2008
MSci in Environmental Sciences – Universidade do Minho, Braga, Portugal
2006
Degree in Applied Chemistry – Universidade do Minho, Braga, Portugal
In multicellular organisms, tissues are structured as complex—often hierarchical—assemblies of biopolymers and living cells. The ability to reproduce the features of the native architecture of such biopolymer systems (the extracellular matrix, ECM) opens exciting perspectives in designing new, more relevant materials for 3D cell culture.
Using type I collagen, the main component of mammals’ ECM we have recently shown that freezing under carefully controlled conditions allows to design macroporous materials that can host primary cells in a 3D environment for extended periods of time.
Ice templating (or directional freezing, freeze casting, etc…) allows for controlled phase separation events during freezing. We have shown that when controlled freezing is applied to biopolymer solutions with cells in suspension, it allows for the encapsulation of cells withing the biopolymer matrix.
These results shine a new light on cell cryopreservation, the single available technique to extend the lifespan of biological entities. Systematically used from research labs up to the clinic, cell cryopreservations relies on toxic cryoprotectants (such as DMSO or glycerol) to minimize the deletrious effects induced by ice crystals on living cells. Applying new strategies to control the freezing events (such as directional freezing) opens new avenues to maximise cell viability in absence of toxic cryoprotectants
Designing cell-containing materials is critical for a wide range of applications. From soil biodegradation to wound healing or bone regeneration, we rely heavily on the work provided by cellular entities.
One of our main research lines aims at designing radical new approaches to build cell-containing materials. Our efforts in rationalizing the spatial relations between cells and their host materials during fabrication have led to a double criteria that determines the possible cellularization pathways—fabrication process cytocompatibility and porosity.