PREM Symposium 2016

“Using theory and computation to design new biomaterials”
Jeffery G. Saven is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania. Saven’s research interests involve theoretical chemistry, particularly as it applies to biopolymers, macromolecules, condensed phases, and disordered systems. His research group is developing computational methods for understanding and designing molecular sytems having many physical and chemical degrees of freedom. Molecular simulation techniques are used both to study molecular systems in detail and to test and illustrate our theories.

“Collagen: The Most Abundant Protein in Animals and an Amazing Biomaterial”
David M. Chenoweth is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry Department at the University of Pennsylvania. Chenoweth’s research group combines new and established synthetic methods to prepare molecules designed to address two important and interrelated goals. First, they are interested in new molecules that can modulate nucleic acid and protein structure and function. Their second goal is to develop new materials with unique optical and electronic properties.

“Engineered Biopolymer Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications”
Jason A. Burdick is a Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania. The focus of his laboratory is both fundamental and applied studies for the development of polymer networks that can be used for understanding stem cell behavior, tissue regeneration, and drug delivery.

“Assessing and Manipulating Protein Folding Dynamics”
Feng Gai is an Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Endowed Term Professor of Chemistry at University of Pennsylvania. Feng Gai’s group at PENN is integrated by physical chemists, biochemists and biologists that study a broad range of biophysical topics, with a special interest in protein folding dynamics. Using and developing an assortment of laser spectroscopic techniques, they aim to provide detailed mechanistic insight into how proteins adopt their native conformations and interact, from the fastest folding secondary structures to membrane binding and insertion and aggregate formation. Gai is a PREM partner.

“ “Spying” on Nanoporous (Bio)materials with Xenon”
Ivan Dmochowski is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania. Research in the Dmochowski lab encompasses many areas of Bioinorganic, Bioorganic, and Biophysical Chemistry, as well as Chemical Biology. The laboratory is comprised of people with backgrounds spanning these disciplines. They are developing small molecules, proteins, and spectroscopic techniques for studying complex biomolecular systems. Their approach involves cycles of molecular design, synthesis, and measurement. Dmochowski is a PREM partner.

“Recombinant Protein-Stabilized Microbubbles for Potential Applications in Cancer Theranostics”
Daeyeon Lee is an Associate Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at University of Pennsylvania. The vision of Lee’s laboratory is to develop deep understanding of the interactions between soft materials (e.g., polymers, colloids and biologicals, etc.) near or at interfaces. They seek to extend the obtained knowledge to direct the assembly of macroscopic structures that have designed properties and functionality. Their major research efforts include understanding the behavior of Janus particles at fluid interfaces, understanding and improving the assembly and mechanical properties of nanoparticle films, the generation of hierarchical structures using emulsions and bubbles as templates, and development of catalytic systems for biomass conversion. Lee is a PREM partner.