Research
Amphiphilic Polymer Self-Assembly
Our research is focused on the self-assembly of polymers into nanostructures. Amphiphilic block copolymers containing a hydrophilic corona covalently bound to a hydrophobic core assemble into a variety of nanostructures from simple spherical micelles to more complex morphology such as rods and vesicles.
The free energy landscape for polymer self-assembly is often complex due to a variety of factors such as interfacial energy, chemical structure, and polymer mobility. Often block copolymer self-assembly is kinetically-driven which means that the self-assembly method and mechanism impacts the final structure. We seek to better understand the self-assembly of polymers under biologically relevant conditions and develop polymers for a targeted delivery.
Sustainable Polymer Synthesis
Our lab is focused on studying polymers derived from ring-opening polymerization (ROP), one of the most reliable chain- polymerization methods for the synthesis of biocompatible block copolymers. Through ROP we will develop amphiphilic polymers for the study of structure function relationships in biomedical delivery and synthesis polymers with integrated delivery systems.
Cryogenic Transmission Electron Microscopy
For the study of solution-based polymer self-assembly, cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryoEM) is our central tool. With cryoEM, we can collect information on the self-assembly mechanism, morphology, and internal structure of soft matter in a near-native environment. We can also study the interface of soft matter with cellular systems to better understand the biophysics of drug and gene delivery.
