About us

The Adolphe Merkle Institute (AMI) is an independent competence center at the University of Fribourg that focuses on nanoscience research and education in the domain of soft nanomaterials. Founded in 2008, AMI is in many aspects unique in the landscape of Switzerland’s research institutions. Our focus is unmatched in Switzerland and beyond. Our research combines fundamental and application-oriented aspects in a multidisciplinary setting. Through collaborations with industrial partners, AMI aims to stimulate innovation, foster industrial competitiveness and more generally, improve the quality of life.

Our researchers are currently organized in four main and two junior research groups, which offer complementary expertise and interests in strategically important areas: BioNanomaterials, Polymer Chemistry and Materials, Soft Matter Physics, Biophysics, Smart Energy Materials, and Mechanoresponsive Materials. Interdisciplinary collaborations between our researchers are the basis for the successful and efficient execution of complex research projects that transcend the boundaries of traditional scientific disciplines. This environment and our world-class research facilities make AMI a desirable destination for master’s and PhD students, postdocs, and senior researchers.

We work hard to make relevant contributions to science and to society and to keep AMI on its course to carry out Adolphe Merkle’s vision of a leading competence center for fundamental and application-oriented interdisciplinary research in the field of soft nanomaterials.

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