On July8, 2025, ProfessorFrancesco Stellacci from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)delivered a lecture titled "SupramolecularBroad-Spectrum Antivirals" atthe Lihu Campus of Shenzhen University. He was invited byProfessorHuayanYang from the School of Biomedical Engineering,Shenzhen University Medical School, as the guest speaker for the140^thsession of the Shenzhen University Medicine Forum.

Professor Stellacci opened his lecture by highlighting the ongoing global threat posed by viral infections, which continue to cause widespread illness and death, particularly in underdeveloped regions, and significantly impact quality of life. He emphasized that, as seen during recent pandemics, viral outbreaks can have far-reaching consequences not only for global health but also for the world economy. 

The lecture summarized over a decade of research by his laboratory into the development of broad-spectrum antiviral agents. Unlike most biologically based strategies, the approach presented focuses on an extracellular mechanism that disrupts the structural integrity of viruses, rendering them irreversibly non-infectious. Professor Stellaccidescribed the development of these compounds and their proposed mechanisms of action. He also presented examples of their antiviral efficacy demonstrated through in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo studies.The session generated strong interest and discussion. Faculty members and students in attendance expressed great enthusiasm, finding the lecture informative and thought-provoking.

Brief introduction of the Speaker:

Professor Francesco Stellacci received his degree in Materials Engineering from the Politecnico di Milano in 1998 under the guidance ofProfessor Zerbi. He then completed his post-doctoral training in the laboratory of Professor J.W. Perry in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Arizona. In 2002, he joined the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology(Cambridge, USA) as an assistant professor and obtained tenure in 2009. In 2010, he became a full professor at EPFL, where he currently holds the Constellium Chair.Professor Stellacci has published over 200 scientific papers and holds more than 15 patent applications. He has received numerous honors, including Technology Review’s TR35 “Top Innovator Under 35,” Popular Science’s “Brilliant 10,” and the EMRS EU40 Award. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Global Young Academy, and the European Academy of Sciences.

Professor Peng Huang presented Professor Francesco Stellacci with the "Shenzhen University Medicine Forum" Honorary Medal