RESEARCH & DISCOVERY
Current Areas of Study
Research in the Beezer group is centered around functional polymeric materials. Projects in our research portfolio will focus on ‘green’ methodologies for sustainable polymer synthesis, as well as the development of next generation biomaterials for drug delivery and tissue engineering application. The success of these research endeavors relies on collaborations with researchers across campus, other academic institutions, and industry.
DESIGNING SYNTHETIC POLYGLYCIDOL-BASED POLYMERIC NETWORKS TO INFLUENCE CELLULAR BEHAVIOR
The strategic engineering of biochemical and biophysical properties into current hydrogel technologies has been met with limited success, due in part to the scarcity of functional biocompatible polymers and facile synthetic methodologies needed for the development of next-generation synthetic biomaterials. The goal of this research is to test the hypothesis that the chemical composition and network topology of polyglycidol-based hydrogels can be easily tuned to present multiple biophysical and biochemical cues simultaneously, which can then be used to regulate mesenchymal stem cells attachment, proliferation, and differentiation. To accomplish this goal, this project combines a selection of established synthetic protocols to produce a new facile methodology for the synthesis of topologically and compositionally unique polyglycidol-based hydrogels, unattainable with current poly(ethylene glycol)-based methodologies. The research team first investigates the influence of crosslink kinetics, network topology, and composition on the viscoelastic properties of the hydrogel network, then assess the behavior of mesenchymal stem cells when incorporated into these polymeric networks, as a function of polymer topology and composition, using molecular and cell biology approaches. This approach allows the research team to establish structure-property-activity relationships between the biochemical and biophysical properties of the polymeric network and cellular responses. The facile modification of polyether-based networks to include multiple biophysical and biochemical properties represents a significant advance towards designing cell-scaffolds that can be used to gain fundamental understanding of the synergistic effects of these properties on cellular behavior, advancing the knowledge needed to influence cellular processes with synthetic materials.
COMPUTATIONAL-BASED DESIGN AND EXPERIMENTAL CHARACTERIZATION OF POLYGLYCIDOL-BASED NETWORKS TO INFLUENCE CELLULAR BEHAVIOR
Hydrogels mimicking the biochemical and biomechanical properties of native cellular environments can regulate cellular processes such as differentiation, proliferation, and migration. However, various attempts to develop these hydrogels capable of presenting multiple chemical and mechanical cues to cells has been met with limited success. To meet this challenge, we propose the development of computational tools capable of creating a theoretical representation of the complex polymer network, created from novel functionalized polyglycidol-based triblock copolymers. Polyglycidol is a versatile multifunctional alternative to polyethylene glycol, however little has been done to explore their application in hydrogel synthesis. Our computational model will include properties such as polymer content, chemical functionality, and polymer chain radius to predict the crosslinking density and mesh size of these hydrogel. Additionally, simulations of the crosslinking-kinetics via oxime formation, is expected to improve our experimental design process, thereby reducing trial runs. Experimental data and approaches will be developed to validate and calibrate our computational model as an approach to developing the advance polyglycidol-based hydrogel scaffold, needed to present multiple biochemical and biophysical cues simultaneously to cells. These hydrogels are of broad interest for studying the synergistic effects of multiple properties on cellular behavior.
SMART AFFINITY-BASED POLYMERIC NANOPARTICLE FOR SELECTIVE CAPTURE AND RELEASE APPLICATIONS
Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are materials with high selective affinity and hence can be used for sample pre-treatment, separation, and sensors. They contain specific recognition site for a specific template molecule based on shape, size, and functionality recognition. MIPs are mechanically and chemically stable, low in cost, and are easy to prepare. They also have excellent reversible adsorption and release properties making them suitable for capture and release applications. Smart imprinting systems are at the forefront of the MIPs technology, owing to the unique features of specific molecular recognition regulated by specific external stimuli. They can respond to external stimuli such as light, temperature, pH and magnetism without a considerable change in their chain structure, surface structure or dissociation behavior. Typically, MIPs with a single recognition site for a specific molecule are prepared, but very little work has been done towards to the synthesis of multiple recognition site in MIPs. Furthermore, the development of smart imprinting systems with multiple recognition site for multiple molecules is highly desired and would have numerous applications in sample pre-treatment, separation and sensor development. In this proposal, the synthesis of a novel multi-domain magnetic and temperature responsive molecularly imprinted polymeric nanoparticles (MTMIP-NPs) with multiple recognition site will be investigated. As a proof of concept, the MTMIP-NPs will be used to selectively bind and remove known compounds from the Jamaican Bizzy Nut plant extract, which will allow for the discovery of unknown bioactive compounds within the extract. This application will demonstrate the power of these MTMIP-NPs technology for selective adsorption of multiple organic compounds from complex mixtures. The MTMIP-NPs will then be investigated for potential applications in environmental wastewater treatment and sensor development.
SUSTAINABLE POLYMERIC MATERIALS
Our interest in this area is driven by the need for sustainable polymeric materials to address the environmental challenges inherently associated with traditional plastics. Studies are geared towards the development of “green” approaches for the synthesis and functionalization of degradable polymer moieties from renewable feedstock. Apart of this work, is the design of efficient synthetic methodologies to provide access to novel polymerization catalyst. We envisioned also, that greener synthetic approaches will further the development of advanced synthetic biomaterial.
