In this course will be reviewed the physicochemical interactions that occurs at the interface between a material and an organic system, with particular focus in the interactions with living cells at different scales. The student will learn the most relevant properties of a material that regulate the responses of the living system and how the physiological environment modify the surface and bulk properties of a material. The fundamental aspects of cell biology, biochemistry and mechanotransduction will be revised to allow the student to understand the complex process of cell adhesion and migration, which have several important implications in biocompatibility, tissue regeneration and cancer metastasis. The student also will learn with practical examples the evolution of the approach in the design of implants, from ‘inert’ materials to materials that regulate specific cellular processes. This course is in particular attractive because it is focused in provide the state of the art of one of the research priorities defined by the regional Smart Specialisation Strategy of the South Moravian region.