The Jena Center for Soft Matter (JCSM) is an interfaculty centre of the local faculties for Chemistry and Earth Sciences, of Biology and Pharmacy, Physics and Astronomy, and Medicine. JCSM research addresses the design, targeted modification and detailled molecular characterisation of functional polymers (“soft matter”), integrates nanoscopic and microscopic structuring of polymers in solution and on surfaces and focuses on the properties of the resulting innovative materials. Studied fields of application of functional polymers range from Life Sciences to sensors up to self-healing materials.