(5ct) Integration of Materials and Biomedical Sciences: Assessing Structural Changes in Biomaterials

Developing a research program at the interface of materials science and nanotechnology, and biomedical sciences and medicine is expected to give new inside in basic science research and yield novel therapeutics. By having extensive training in synthesis, isolation and characterization of polymers, nanostructured materials, soft materials, biomaterials and functional molecules by using up-to-date methods, techniques and instrumentation, I intend to develop an innovative research and education program to examine new nanomaterials that can find various applications: (1) in the biomedical field as matrices for drug/protein/DNA release and delivery, and enzyme immobilization, and in the cardiovascular research (interactions of blood components and polymers) and (2) in the electronics industry as thermolyzable materials for removal and re-attachment of components.

The constituent chemical elements and the way in which a material has been processed into its final form determine its structure. The architecture, composition and the stability of a biomaterial (polymer, protein or blood component) affect its properties and its performance in a specific application. To this end, characterization of the material and investigation of its detailed structure and any possible conformational changes under different conditions (acidic, basic and enzymatic hydrolysis, thermolysis, shear, and change in solution properties) is important since it can relate the properties and performance (function) of the material in an application to its structure.

In this poster, I describe the (1) synthesis of functional molecules and well-defined polymeric nanostructures, (2) isolation, purification and characterization (size, structure and properties) of organic molecules and biomaterials (polymers, proteins and blood components), and (3) investigation of structural stability of biomaterials under different conditions. The development of new tools such as small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and fluorescence dye-binding assays that can be used to examine conformational changes and stability of biomaterials, a major regulator of their function, is also presented.