Metal complexes and inorganic materials for understanding and triggering life

Luminescent molecules are of great interest for the development of new materials, sensors, biolabels…. Platinum complexes can also self-assembly generating highly luminescent structures. The assemblies can occur not only in solution and in controlled solvent ratios but also in living organisms. We have found that using water soluble luminescent platinum complexes we can follow the assembly in the body of the animal and that the self-assembly trigger unexpected biological event such self-regeneration of tissues.

The use of inorganic materials and in particular of silica capsules has recently proved to be an exceptional interesting way to enhance coral settlement through the development of biomimetic microhabitats that replicate the chemical landscape of healthy reefs. The constructs enable to enrich reef microhabitats with bioactive molecules from crustose coralline algae enhancing coral settlement over 20-fold compared to controls.