(4er) Protein-Based Materials for Biomedical and Cellular Agriculture Applications

Naturally occurring proteins are promising alternatives for the fabrication of sustainable materials owing to their diverse functionality, biomass-based sources, water-based processing, and biodegradability. Furthermore, the low toxicity, biocompatibility, and bioresorbability of the most proteins make them especially amenable for the fabrication of biomaterials. However, the development of protein-based materials, particularly for biomedical applications, has faced challenges due to the high costs associated with purification, modification and formulation. Furthermore, most protein-based materials suffer from poor stability in biological environments, are prone to rapid degradation, and exhibit poor mechanical properties. My research career has focused on developing new strategies for the modification of protein-based biomaterials for biomedical and food applications.

During my PhD, I developed a thermal treatment strategy for fabricating protein-based coatings, using virtually any protein, while preserving the native protein structure and properties. In doing so, we were able to translate native protein properties such as charge and hydrophilicity into the final protein coating, while also ensuring aqueous stability and improving mechanical strength. I later utilized this strategy to develop protein-based antimicrobial coatings, patterned protein-based coatings for microfluidic devices, and biocompatible coatings to enhance cell adhesion and wound-healing.

As a post-doctoral scholar, I am working on developing biomedical applications for silk by imparting unique properties to silk fibroin via chemical modifications. Silk fibroin has been widely used in the fields of tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, drug delivery and fabrication of medical devices. I utilized chemical modification strategies to tether hydrophobic moieties to native silk fibroin. This resulted in a non-fouling, hydrophobic silk fibroin that exhibited similar properties to Teflon. We demonstrated that the hydrophobic silk had superior anti-fouling properties that were well-suited for platelet storage and transfusion applications. Hydrophobic silk minimized platelet adhesion and activation during storage and transfusion and prevented bacterial contamination of stored platelets when exposed to high bacterial concentrations. This approach offers a sustainable silk-based strategy for platelet preservation and have several applications for platelet storage and transfusion devices. Additionally, I co-developed mucin-mimetic silks through the chemical glycosylation of silk fibroin which, like native mucin, can domesticate pathogenic bacterial strains in the skin, oral, gut and reproductive microbiomes. This approach offers an antibiotic-free alternative for the prevention and treatment of both mild and refractory bacterial infections with minimal side-effects. Lastly, I studied plant-based protein membranes, fabricated using mung and wheat glutenin, for the growth of bovine satellite muscle cells for cultivated meat production. Our goal for this project was to elucidate and optimize the material properties that contribute to the growth and formation of muscle tissue.

In my research program, I would like to continue to focus on developing protein-based biomaterials for both medical and food applications. Specifically, my focus will be on - (i) further developing both hydrophobic and non-hydrophobic anti-fouling silk for blood-contacting medical device applications, (ii) Developing an in vitro skin + microbiome model utilizing the glycosylated silk as well as other biopolymers for elucidating the role of the skin microbiome, studying disease progression, as well as for applications such as drug testing and high throughput screening, (iii) Developing plant protein materials for cultivated meat production by identifying different viable protein alternatives as well as employing chemical modification strategies to manipulate the structural and mechanical properties for improved tissue growth.

Teaching Interests

Due to my training in Chemistry, and research experience in the fields of material science, chemistry and biomedical engineering, I am well-suited to teach several courses offered by each of these departments. I am interested in developing and teaching courses on topics such as biomaterials for medical applications, sustainable materials, chemical modification strategies for biopolymers, silk-based materials.

I have prior teaching experience as a TA for general chemistry labs where I worked with 120+ students training them on wet chemistry lab techniques. Most significantly during COVID, I co-developed and taught a virtual general chemistry lab course that involved developing kitchen chemistry experiments that students were able to perform at home while covering the required course material. Our goal was to minimize the use of simulators and formulate and enriching and interactive lab course despite COVID restrictions. Through the course of my PhD and post-doctoral work, I have mentored 8 undergraduate students at different stages of their undergraduate programs and from different academic backgrounds. The students were trained in different experimental techniques in a research lab and in scientific writing and communication. Several of my students have defended their bachelor’s thesis with my mentorship and have co-authored papers with me. Most of my students ended up pursuing higher education in related fields and are still highly motivated scientists.

Most recently, I am co-developing and co-instructing a course on sustainable materials to be taught in Fall 2024 at Tufts University. Our goal is to introduce students to the need for new sustainable materials, various techniques employed for developing sustainable materials both historically and present day, the challenges associated with their development, and their applications. The course is expected to include ~30 students and will include several class projects, guest speakers from the industry, case studies and reports in addition to traditional examinations. I am especially motivated to teach students about sustainability and sustainable materials and would like to teach this course in the future as a single instructor.

I have also volunteered to give seminars at several high schools across the US, as part of Skype-a-scientist where I interacted with students to discuss my research and motivate them to pursue a career in science.