Francisco Narciso studied Biology at the University of Lisbon and completed a Master’s degree in Biochemistry at NOVA University of Lisbon. During his master’s thesis, he transitioned into materials science, where he developed biopolymer-based antibacterial and antifouling hydrogel coatings for catheter surfaces. This work sparked a strong interest in the design of functional polymeric materials at the chemical-biological interface.
Francisco is currently a PhD candidate at Leiden University within the EVOLVE Doctoral Programme. His doctoral research is carried out in an interdisciplinary research group focused on supramolecular biomaterials and self-assembly. The objective of his PhD project is to design and develop tunable supramolecular biomaterials, based on well-defined monomer building blocks, that self-assemble into hydrogels suitable for three-dimensional cell culture.
Specifically, his work aims to create supramolecular hydrogel platforms that can be tailored as 3D culture environments for archaea. Through this work, Francisco seeks to contribute to a better understanding of archaea by providing controlled and adaptable 3D environments in which their behaviour can be studied.
