Welcome to the Lauster Group.

We are an interdisciplinary research team working at the interface of biopharmaceuticals, chemical biology, and biophysics, with a strong commitment to translational research. Our goal is to bridge fundamental discovery and therapeutic application, focusing on bioactive peptides inspired by viral receptors, antibodies, and lung mucins, designed through rational engineering and high-throughput screening. These biomimetic peptides function as antiviral decoys, mucolytic agents, and components of targeted nanotherapeutics for respiratory diseases. We also study protein self-assembly mechanisms and develop molecular sensing tools for biothiols. To characterize structure–function relationships, we use a broad array of quantitative biophysical techniques, including microscale thermophoresis (MST), interferometric scattering microscopy (iSCAM), quantitative fluorescence microscopy, and cone-and-plate rheology. Our goal is the development of inhalable peptide–nanoparticle conjugates for site-specific delivery to the lung, with the ambition to translate our findings into novel therapeutic strategies for clinical application.

Image Credit: Cosmin St. Butnarasu