Molecular Engineering Lab (MolE)

Specific Mission

The Molecular Engineering Laboratory (MolE) applies the principles of molecular science and engineering so as to explore chemical systems on the molecular level. Through sophisticated computational and experimental methods, MolE develops new technologies which are generally applicable for the engineering of high value chemical applications. Special emphasis is currently placed on stabilization and formulation of biopharmaceuticals, crystallization of small and large molecules, continuous manufacturing in the pharmaceutical industry, development of innovative eco-friendly polymerization systems, molecular encapsulation of non-polar molecules and controlled drug release.

Main Research topics

  • Molecular encapsulation of non-polar molecules for the food and pharmaceutical industry
  • Micro- and nanoparticles for delivery of non-personalized and precision medicine therapeutics
  • Nucleation and crystallization of small and large molecules
  • Formulation, preservation, and stabilization of biopharmaceuticals
  • Freezing and lyophilization of peptides, proteins, oligonucleotides, nucleic acids, RNA, and DNA
  • Downstream processing of biopharmaceuticals and biologics
  • Continuous manufacturing applied to the pharmaceutical industry (e.g., lyophilization/freeze-drying, liquid chromatography, etc..)

Main Partnerships

  • SIMTI-Biomaterials Laboratory, Department of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di Torino, Italy
  • POLYMAT Laboratory, Department of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di Torino, Italy
  • The Center of Nanostructured Interfaces and Surfaces, Department of Chemistry, Università di Torino, Italy
  • Pharmaceutical Process Analytical Technology Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, University of Ghent, Belgium
  • Department of Chemical Engineering, National University of Colombia, Colombia
  • Physics and Chemistry of Nano-objects Laboratory, Ecolé Polytechnique, France
  • Biomolecular Separation Engineering group, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany
  • Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, UK
  • Particle Science Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, UK
  • The Center of Nanocomposites, University of Warwick, UK
  • The National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, UK
  • Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA
  • Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Barbara, USA

Projects and publications

Reference laboratories


Leader Permanent staff
Researchers (RTDA) PhD, Post-docs and Grant researchers