Research

Nucleic Acid Delivery

We design and develop polymer and lipid vehicles for the efficient delivery of nucleic acids into cells and tissues for a variety of diseases. Given that nucleic acids are not stable and cannot permeate cell membranes due to their size and electrostatic repulsion, our group focuses on the development of delivery vehicle formulations that can bind and encapsulate nucleic acids. For our research, we investigate structural parameters such as monomer design, chemical composition, formulation performance and stability, and macromolecular architecture on tropic delivery in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo.

The nucleic acids that our group is packaging include plasmid DNA (pDNA), antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), messenger RNA (mRNA), small interfering RNA (siRNA), and gene editing systems. We collaborate with industry partners, UMN research groups, and experts in the fields of cancer biology, clinical translation, spectroscopy, microscopy imaging, computational modeling, and data science to make fundamental and applied discoveries in this field.

Sustainable Polymers

A primary goal of our research group is to use natural products and biomass such as sugars, seed oils, terpenes, and polysaccharides to develop monomers and polymers that will be used in the development and future manufacture of various types of personal care and plastic formulations. Another focus of our program is to modify naturally abundant polysaccharides such as cellulose for specific applications ranging from personal care products, rheology modification, controlled-release of active ingredients formulations, and microcarriers for cell therapy engineering.

We use green chemistry methods to target a more sustainable circular economy. We investigate novel synthetic methods, catalyst optimization for controlled polymerizations, engineering of physical properties, and application testing, often collaborating with academic and industrial partners.

Macromolecular Assemblies

An overarching goal of our research is to understand the fundamentals of molecular interactions and their role in dictating the structure and function of lipid, polymer, and bottlebrush materials. Our lab studies how designer macromolecules aid the solubility and stability of active ingredients such as pharmaceutical and personal care formulations. We aim to better understand the assembly and molecular interactions of small and large molecules that dictate performance such as lipids and polymers with themselves or other active small molecules.

We aim to enable the rational design of tunable, modular, and effective materials for applications ranging from drug, protein, home and personal care actives delivery to photonics and metamaterials. To advance this research space, we collaborate with industry partners and research groups across the UMN campus.

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