Polymers have become indispensable as materials in many applications. Bio-based and bio-inspired polymers can contribute to making the use of polymers more sustainable, e.g. through the development of high-performance polymers that do not persist in the environment or that can be produced from renewable raw materials. The transfer of principles from biological systems to polymers offers the possibility of creating specific functions. In this field, we deal with the synthesis of monomers, biodegradable polymers, hydrogels and polymer networks, the design of peptides and peptidomimetics, as well as with the specific applications of polymers in medical and technical fields. We work at the interface between organic and macromolecular chemistry using synthetic and analytical methods.