Designer dendrimers for bio-medicine Design of dendrimer molecules has vast scope due to their molecular architecture. Researchers in the European NADEC project have investigated the creation of novel molecules for applications in the biomedical field. Health © Shutterstock Dendrimers are molecules with many repeating branches, the presence of which give rise to an immense number of dendritic architectures. The properties of dendrimers are dominated by the nature of their terminal groups on the molecular surface. Multiple applications are therefore possible according to the functional groups that are selected for these surface active sites. These unique properties were exploited by partners in the NADEC project. They synthesised molecules for multi-layered bio-medical coatings with specially designed end-groups to confer properties appropriate to their designated function. The research group designed and synthesised molecules with two main applications in mind. Firstly, ultra-thin films are increasingly used as coatings for a wide variety of devices to impart a particular surface property. In the bio-medical sector, to avoid rejection of a prosthetic device, it is crucial that there is compatibility between the coating on the device and the external environment. This can be conferred by choice of appropriate end-groups for the surface of the prosthetic coating. The other potential application lies in the pharmaceutical sector. Extensive voids or spaces are present within the dendrimer macromolecule. This characteristic can be utilised in drug delivery and different release modes within the body and or cell environment. The project partners are seeking further research and development support whereby dendrimer structure can be further investigated with a view to evaluating their commercial application in the bio-medical and pharmaceutical sectors.