Darjan Podbevsek

Darjan Podbevsek is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Chen Lab and Tu Lab within the Nanoscience Initiative at the City College of New York. His research focuses on water-responsive materials, supramolecular self-assembly, and biophysics of peptide-based nanomaterials.

• B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Power and Process Engineering, University of Ljubljana
• PhD in Physics, University of Claude Bernard Lyon

His work explores the design of adaptive peptide systems, including water-responsive actuation, coacervates for biomolecular protection, and context-dependent molecular assembly. He integrates computation, experiment, and machine learning to develop functional nanomaterials for biomedical and environmental applications.

Recent publications reveal trends in peptide crystal topology, liquid-liquid phase separation, and molecular actuation mechanisms. Key subfields include supramolecular chirality, biocatalytic self-assembly, and responsive hydrogels.

Darjan's collaborations with Prof. X. Chen and Prof. R. S. Tu focus on nanoscale materials for drug delivery, biosensing, and smart actuation. His projects often bridge materials science, biophysics, and systems chemistry.

He currently works in the Chen and Tu Labs, developing water-responsive composites and studying peptide-nanoparticle interactions. His methodologies advance transient materials, enzyme-responsive systems, and nanostructured biosensors.