University of Bayreuth

Job History

since 12/2022	Junior professor for sustainable and functional polymers Macromolecular chemistry, University of Bayreuth
09/2021 – 11/2022	Postdoctoral assistant Department of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry, Ghent University, Belgium, Prof. Richard Hoogenboom
07/2020 – 07/2021	Visiting postdoctoral researcher Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Australia, Prof. Stephen J. Kent
10/2019 – 07/2021	Postdoctoral fellow (Feodor-Lynen programme) Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, Dr. Kristian Kempe
08/2018 – 09/2019	Postdoctoral researcher Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, Prof. Thomas P. Davis

Education

01/2015 – 07/2018	PhD thesis (Macromolecular Chemistry) Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Prof. Ulrich S. Schubert
10/2012 – 10/2014	M. Sc. Chemical Biology Friedrich Schiller University Jena
09/2013 – 12/2013	Resarch semester abroad (Fulbright Germany) University of Oregon, Eugene, USA
10/2009 – 09/2012	B. Sc. Chemistry and Biology Carl-von-Ossietzky University Oldenburg

Awards and other responsibilities

2024	Keynote Lecture 38th Australasian Polymer Symposium (APS), Auckland, New Zealand
2022	Keynote Lecture 14th International Symposium on Ionic Polymerization (IP’22), Ghent, Belgium
2019	Alexander-von-Humboldt fellowship for postdoctoral researchers (Feodor-Lynen programme)
2013	Fulbright travel grant

University of Bayreuth

The Leiske research group focuses on synthesis and characterisation of sustainable and functional polymer materials. We design new materials from natural resources and analyse them using state of the art equipment. Tailoring the interaction of bioderived polymers with cells and biological matter is one of the major goals of our research.

Sustainable and Functional Polymers
We are working on the development of functional polymers from sustainable, bio-derived resources, such as amino acids or lipidic compounds.
Stealth Polymers
In our group, we design and test novel, non-ionic and zwitterionic stealth polymers to evaluate their suitability for use in nanomedicine.
Site-specific polymers
Our research focusses on the development of amino-acid-derived zwitterionic polymers and their cell interactions to design polymers with high specificity to diseased cells.

University of Bayreuth

10 selected publications

Impact of the polymer backbone chemistry on interactions of amino-acid-derived zwitterionic polymers with cells
M. N. Leiske,* B. D. De Geest, R. Hoogenboom*
Bioact. Mater. 2023, 24, 524.

Amidation of methyl-ester-functionalised poly(2-oxazoline)s as a powerful tool to create dual pH and temperature responsive polymers as potential drug delivery systems
M. N. Leiske, R. Singha, S. Jana, B. G. De Geest, R. Hoogenboom
Polym. Chem. 2023, 14, 2034.

Poly (2-oxazoline)-derived star-shaped polymers as potential materials for biomedical applications: A review
M. N. Leiske
Eur. Polym. J. 2023 185, 111832.

Zwitterionic amino acid-derived polyacrylates as smart materials exhibiting cellular specificity and therapeutic activity
M. N. Leiske,* Z. A. I. Mazrad, A. Zelcak, K. Wahi, T. P. Davis, J. McCarroll, J. Holst, K. Kempe*
Biomacromolecules 2022, 23, 2374.

A guideline for the synthesis of amino acid-functionalized monomers and their polymerization
M. N. Leiske,* K. Kempe*
Macromol. Rapid. Commun. 2022, 43, 2100615.

Interactions of core cross-linked poly(2-oxazoline) and poly(2-oxazine) micelles with immune cells in human blood
M. N. Leiske, M. Lai, T. Amarasena, T. P. Davis, K. J. Thurecht, S. J. Kent, K. Kempe
Biomaterials 2021, 274, 120843.

Poly (2-isopropenyl-2-oxazoline)–a structural analogue to poly (vinyl azlactone) with Orthogonal Reactivity
M. N. Leiske, A. M. Mahmoud, N. M. Warne, J. A. C.M. Goos, S. Pascual, V. Montembault, L. Fontaine, T. P. Davis, M. R. Whittaker, K. Kempe
Polym. Chem. 2020, 11, 5681.

Synthesis of biscarboxylic acid functionalised EDTA mimicking polymers and their ability to form Zr (IV) chelation mediated nanostructures
M. N. Leiske, J. A. Walker, A. Zia, N. L. Fletcher, K. J. Thurecht, T. P. Davis, K. Kempe
Polym. Chem. 2020, 11, 2799.

One‐Pot Synthesis of Block Copolymers by a Combination of Living Cationic and Controlled Radical Polymerization
A.-K. Trützschler, M. N. Leiske, M. Strumpf, J. C. Brendel, U. S. Schubert
Macromol. Rapid Commun. 2019, 40, 1800398.

Mission ImPOxable–or the unknown utilization of non-toxic poly (2-oxazoline) s as cryoprotectants and surfactants at the same time
M. N. Leiske, A.-K. Trützschler, S. Armoneit, P. Sungur, S. Hoeppener, M. Lehmann, A. Traeger, U. S. Schubert
J. Mater. Chem. B 2017, 5, 9102.

University of Bayreuth

Jun.-Prof. Dr. Meike Nicole Leiske
University of Bayreuth

Sustainable and Functional Polymers
Universitätsstraße 30 NWII,
NWII, Room No. 4.1.00.363
D-95447 Bayreuth Germany

Phone: +49 (0)921 / 55-4440
E-mail: meike.leiske@uni-bayreuth.de
Homepage: Leiskelab