People

CV

Dr. Tsvetomir Ivanov graduated with a double M.Sc. degree in Chemistry from the Technical University of Hamburg and the University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy in Sofia, having received a DAAD scholarship. During his undergraduate studies, he wrote his diploma thesis in Prof. Kai Sundmacher's group at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems in Magdeburg. His research focused on developing a microfluidics-based method to generate lipid giant unilamellar vesicles and using them as cell-like compartments. In 2020, he joined Prof. Katharina Landfester's department at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research as a Ph.D. student, working with the synthetic biology group led by Dr. Lucas Caire da Silva. For his doctoral thesis, he developed a variety of supramolecular systems based on giant vesicles and coacervates. After graduating in 2025, he became the groupleader of the biocondensate systems group within the artificial cell project in Landfester's department.

Research Interests

My research lies at the interface of organic chemistry, molecular biology, and engineering, focusing on the development of hierarchically organized, multi-compartment systems via engineered self-assembling components for applications in artificial cells, catalysis, communication, and nanomedicine.

CV

Ilona completed her Bachelor’s (2023) and Master’s (2025) degrees in biomedical chemistry at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. Her studies were supported by a scholarship from Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes. For her Master thesis, conducted in the Department of Prof. Dr. Landfester, she focused on dual-way communication between natural and artificial cells. Since June 2025, she has been a PhD candidate in the Biocondensates Group of the Department of Physical Chemistry of Polymers.

Research Interests

Ilona’s research is focused on the synthesis and characterization of minimalistic peptides for the controlled formation of coacervates via liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). Her primary goal is to explore the relation between the precise peptide design and the resulting physicochemical properties of the coacervates. This fundamental understanding is crucial for transforming these systems into platforms for advanced biomedical applications like targeted drug delivery, biosensing, and engineering of synthetic cell organelles.